


Back to Beacon Hills

by Dgray3994



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Apparently I'm insane, F/M, Liam's A Sweetheart, Not your usual a/b/o dynamic, Scott can be mean, Slow Burn, Teen Wolf, Ten Years Later, Theo's a badass, True Mates, Tyler and Colton said reunion, a Teen wolf reunion of sorts, did I mention slow burn, don't know why i did this, not a clue what else to tag, the nemeton isn't working
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-08
Updated: 2020-06-03
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:53:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 153,703
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23551111
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dgray3994/pseuds/Dgray3994
Summary: Scott McCall had kept the peace in Beacon Hills for nearly a decade, and there had been six years of no new supernatural arrivals, but one full moon night changed all that. It wasn't the beautiful wolf that caught his attention, but that did have something to do with it, but it was the draw to her scent that had him reeling, and he wasn't the only one.Theo had always thought that his connection with Liam, his anchor, was the only one he would ever have. Of course, since he was Liam's, he guessed it went both ways, but there was that one incident of almost hitting an animal that put him down a completely different path, and the night he found out her secret was the very moment he knew he would protect her at all cost, even if it meant from his own alpha.
Relationships: Liam Dunbar & Original Female Character(s), Liam Dunbar & Theo Raeken, Lydia Martin/Stiles Stilinski, Scott McCall (Teen Wolf)/Original Female Character(s), Theo Raeken & Original Female Characters
Comments: 20
Kudos: 17
Collections: Teen Wolf, Teen wolf fanfic





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> BTW, I suck at blurbs, so we're going to go with that. With this stay at home thing, I finally got to watch Teen Wolf in full and just fell in love with the characters all over again, guess that's the reason I watched it all twice in a row. Anyway, Colton and Tyler tweeted about a reunion. There's no way this story would ever make it as a reunion show, but hell, let's write it anyway. I'm still working on the voices, and this is my first leap into a different fandom, so be gentle, but comments are cool.  
> PS, this is my break from two other books, so we're going with it.  
> PSS: new to the fandom so no BETA (ha ha) all errors are my own.  
> PSSS: Yes, I use references to songs from Tyler's band Five North.

Episode 1x01

She ran through the woods, faster than any human could manage, all four legs moving at breakneck speed. She never timed it, though she probably should have, but then again, who would have stuck around when she shifted to say “ready, set, go?” especially when her eyes started to glow their supernatural color.

She guessed that it was somewhere between thirty-one to nearly forty miles at top speed, but there was no way she was keeping that pace for very long. No, on nights like tonight, with the full moon bright and beautiful across the clear sky, she was probably doing a leisurely pace of maybe twenty, but that was because she really didn’t know the territory.

She had just moved into Beacon Hills the week before, gotten set up with a job at the local bar and grill from her cousin, who was none the wiser about her “condition” but it didn’t matter, she was out of the city, out on her own and far, far away from any packs.

Or so she thought.

He stepped out of the trees downwind, twirled from behind one of the largest oaks she had ever seen taking her by surprise, and growled loud enough for her to come to a skidding halt in front of him. His eyes glowed a bright red, his fangs bared and threatening, and those claws… For a bitten wolf, the Alpha before her was definitely a sight to behold, but it didn’t stop her from lowering her head just a bit as her hackles rose, her lips drew back to bare her fangs and the responding growl that left her followed his as it echoed through the woods.

Her eyes lit up, showing her power to the alpha, letting him see just what he was dealing with, and she watched, since it happened so many times before, as the confusion spread across his face and he stood straighter, no less on the defensive, and considered her curiously.

“What are you?” His voice shimmered with the wolf he was, but she could hear the human underneath, picked up his scent as the wind shifted and she took a step back. With one last good snap of her jaws in his direction she turned and bolted, and that was where her knowledge of her own limits came in. But, that curious voice could still be picked up by sensitive ears, “no, wait.”

It was time to go home, time to get a few hours of sleep before her day began, as it usually did, because in a small place like Beacon Hills, it wasn’t unusual to order breakfast at a Bar and Grill… if she could get the scent of the werewolf out of her head.

*****

“A wolf?” The disbelieving voice of one Stiles Stilinski repeated over the line as Scott brushed his mop of black, curly hair from his face, grabbed the tee-shirt from the bed and yanked it over his head. He rolled his eyes, knowing that Stiles didn’t mean anything by it, he was just being, well, Stiles.

“Yeah, a wolf,” Scott sighed, sitting down on his bed to yank on socks. The Beacon Hills Animal Rescue, his own little twist on Deaton’s vet service was due to open in a few hours, which meant that he was exhausted. Full moon nights were always hard on his body, patrolling the Preserve and keeping tabs on his own pack was first and foremost on those nights, but with the new arrival, his night had gotten longer trying to trail her. “With purple eyes, Stiles.”

“Okay, we established that,” his oldest, and best friend’s reply was filled with curiosity and Scott knew that breakfast was going to be a fun time this morning. “Look, we can go over it more over coffee. We are still going for coffee right, because I could seriously use a cup, or twelve.”

“Yeah, definitely.” Scott had made his way through his apartment, yanked on his boots, grabbed the keys to the bike and his helmet then put the phone back to his ear. “Meet you in ten?”

“Sure thing,” and with that the line went dead.

Scott McCall was many things, a True Alpha, a Vet, and a hometown boy, but the one thing he was not was afraid, so when he stepped out onto the sidewalk, hearing the door behind him bang shut, he would completely deny the chill that crept up his back, the way the hair rose on the back of his neck, and the feeling of being watched that gave him that movie cliff-hanger vibe.

His brown eyes scanned the neighborhood and after placing his helmet on, his Alpha red ones did it again, this time looking for something that others couldn’t see, but there was nothing, not even a scent in the air to confirm what he was feeling. Aggravated, Scott huffed and got on, revving up the engine until it vibrated under him and he sighed.

Time to meet the pack.

*****

It was a monthly tradition, and it went back nearly eleven years. Every morning after the full moon the members of the McCall pack would meet at the Beacon Hills Bar and Grill for breakfast, an informal way to check in, to make sure everyone survived the night, and came out of it no worse for wear.

For Stiles, it was a way to make sure that everyone was accounted for, and for an alibi since things had a tendency to be found the day after. Like bodies, bodies had a bad habit of showing up after and with Scott’s little announcement over the phone, well, it was his job even more to make sure that the pack was safe.

Things hadn’t gone the way he had planned after high school, not with the whole reestablishment of the hunters in Beacon Hills. He had planned to continue his FBI training without incident, get away from all the crap that happened in his hometown, but as it was the Nemeton kept bringing the bullshit, at least until about six years ago when everything stopped. There hadn’t been an arrival of a new creature since the night that the old tree seemed to suddenly take a turn for the worse, as in, it started to crumble like the life was being choked out of it.

Stiles was kind of grateful, not that he wanted anything to happen, since it was also a means of protection, but there had to be some sort of break for them, they needed time to regroup. What they found was that the old druid tree had done its job. The town was protected by a True Alpha and his pack, they didn’t need it’s magic anymore, and it went dormant again, or at least that was what he was told.

So, yeah, Stiles needed these morning-after breakfast because after six years, this wasn’t good at all.

He stepped into the Grill, the smell of eggs and bacon instantly wafted in his direction and he drew in a deep breath, amber eyes scanning over the place, its patrons, and staff before landing on the large table set up in the back. He always felt like a knight of the Round Table when he came in, moving up the three steps to the small area that housed the four person tables arranged in a strange broken circle, much like the pack’s symbol.

Scott was already there, flirting with April, the owner’s daughter, same as always. They had been going in circles around each other for years, neither making a move, just flirting, but they always seem to be one step closer every month. This time, Scott was helping place the silverware, which meant he was touching her hand.

Stiles smirked, a natural smug look on his face, as he adjusted his belt, made sure the gun was locked tightly in its spot and drew in a breath, knowing Scott could hear him. The FBI hadn’t worked out, but with a sheriff for a dad, law enforcement was still an open door. Both Scott and April looked up at the same time and his friend gave him that lopsided, innocent grin like always.

“Deputy Stilinski,” April flushed, and Scott winked, “coffee?”

“Please,” just because he was a bit ADHD didn’t mean he couldn’t be polite, and off she went to grab the carafes. Stiles shook his head, opened his arms and waited for Scott to hug him, which only took a blink. It was always stressful to know that Scott was out there, and anything could happen. They had been watching each other’s backs since the beginning of double digits, and that would never change. Both men took a seat, dumped the sugar and creamer into the waiting mugs, dreaming of liquid gold, and dipped their heads low to keep the conversation private. “So, she was a full wolf, like Derek?”

“Yep, a complete shift, but I’ve never seen another evolved wolf, and like I said, her eyes were purple,” Scott sighed, yanking the phone out of his pocket as he jumped. A text from Liam flashed on the screen and he placed it down on the table. “She wasn’t scared at all, and she wasn’t threatening me, she just bared her teeth, turned and took off, like it was nothing.”

“And you’re sure she was a _she_?” Leave it to Stiles to bring it up that way.

Scott rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I could smell it.”

“It?” he grinned, “it what? Like what kind of perfume she wore when not a shaggy mutt?”

Scott stumbled before he felt his face grow warm and he brought his eyes up to meet his friend’s, “pheromones.”

“Oh?” he grinned but that look of worry from Scott’s face had his smile fading. That wasn’t good, “oh.”

“I’ve never met another wolf like that,” he huffed out his frustration and sat back in the chair as April set the carafe down and the bell above the door signaled more arrivals.

Liam entered, the shorter beta wolf’s bright blue eyes landed on Scott’s and the Alpha visibly relaxed. Behind him was Theo, a wolf/coyote hybrid called a chimera, or in short terms, his shadow. They had been nearly inseparable for, well, since they battled the hunters, and no matter what happened Scott knew that wasn’t going to change. He was grateful for Theo, even if it took them forever to come to a level of trust.

Behind the duo, the door opened once more and a jabbering Mason talked his way through some sort of explanation with a confused Corey, a chimera himself, a chameleon, trying to follow along, even as the two moved up the stairs to find their normal seats in the corner away from prying ears. Still a couple after so long, the two were deep into something that needed Mason’s expertise, which meant it had to do with history, or physics, or something no one else there could possibly have gotten into.

The men all exchanged hellos and coffee was passed around the table as April brought out the juice, but they were still missing companions. Scott elbowed Stiles, raised a brow and gave him just a look that conveyed a question, but with all of their non-verbal communication skills, Stiles was not nearly awake enough to get the query.

“Where’s Lydia?” he finally barked out, sick of the strange faces that Stiles was making in his direction.

“Oh!” the man’s childlike features grinned, “she’s at home with Allison, the little one woke up this morning with a bit of a fever, I didn’t tell you?” Stiles shook his head, maybe he really was tired, but he could see the worry on Scott’s face. “I’m so sorry I forgot to tell you.”

Letting it fade, Scott smiled, shrugged, and reached for one of the biscuits before him. It wasn’t unlike Stiles to forget things like that, or to think that it had already left his mouth, his brain went nearly twelve hundred miles a minute sometimes and it often made him wonder how the man managed to get dressed, or marry the woman he had been in love with since the third grade. The fact that he had forgotten to mention that the three-year-old had a cold was something different, Stiles never forgot anything that had to do with informing Scott of the well-being of the pack, and that included his God-daughter.

“She’s okay though, right?”

“Who, Lydia? She’s fine, more than fine, you should have seen the number she wore to bed last night, it was…”

Scott stopped him right there, “don’t need to know about your bedtime rituals there, buddy. That’s all you.” He patted Stiles on the chest and grinned as one of their last late arrivals made her presence known. Malia stopped at the top of the stairs, glanced around the group, rolled her eyes and made her way towards the chair next to Stiles. She hadn’t changed much since they met, she was still blatant as ever and when she sat down in a huff, Scott almost didn’t have to ask, but did. “What’s going on?”

“I don’t understand why we do this every month, it’s not like we don’t see each other every day, Scott, we share an apartment.” She crossed her arms and sat back, eyes on Stiles who was now pouring her a cup of coffee.

“It’s not just for us, it’s for them,” he gestured to the other four at the table. “Unity and family.” She blinked at him but nodded just the same. It was then that April stepped up and smiled. “Well, since we’re all here, let breakfast begin.”

It was quiet, despite the size of the group, and everyone made sure to give, in great detail, where they spent the night so that Stiles knew just where to look should anything pop up, but Scott sat back, his mind going to the wolf he had seen and it was as he sat lost in thought that Stiles decided to interrupt.

“Hey,” he knuckled him in the arm, drawing him from the staring contest he was having with the empty orange juice glass in front of him. Scott blinked back into focus and looked up at him, just as the door opened. He could see Stiles talking, watched his lips move, but the force the door created, pushed an intense and familiar scent his way. Over his right shoulder, Scott concentrated on the long chestnut hair, the lean body, and bright eyes of a woman he had never seen as she made her way into the building. And then his own breath was rushing from his body when Stiles slapped him hard across the back. “Scott!”

“Ow!” He snipped, finally meeting those amber eyes, “what?”

“Dude,” Stiles sighed, “you were growling.”

“What?” this time it meant complete confusion as they both turned back to see April standing next to the bar, the new arrival’s back still towards them and Stiles shivered when Scott growled low in his throat, only loud enough so Malia was now sitting forwards, blocking his view. Scott was taken aback at his own lack of control and swallowed. “Ah, sorry, maybe I’m overtired.”

Stiles turned back, blocked his view and raised his hands, cupping Scott’s face in his hands as he looked him over. “Red eyes in public, man, not a good thing.”

“I didn’t even realize I was doing it,” he huffed out and tried to pull back, “Stiles, let go.”

“What happened? What did you see or hear?”

“I didn’t,” he whispered, grabbing at the hands that held steady, “I smelled… her.”

“Pheromones?” Stiles teased, pitching an eyebrow, “you’re getting worked up over her pheromones? What kind of animal are you?” It was teasing, Scott knew, but it made him frown just the same. “And who were you looking at?”

“Who’s that?” he nodded in the direction of the new arrival, the one that was slowly making her way towards the back of the bar, and Stiles only caught her profile as she disappeared through the kitchen door. “I’ve never seen her before.”

“That’s Lana,” Malia grumbled, monotoned as if it wasn’t important at all, while reaching for the carafe, something she frowned at when she noticed it was empty.

“Yeah, she’s been here for a week or so,” Liam spoke up, catching Scott’s attention.

“Wait,” he was really, really confused, “how did I not know?”

“You’re slacking,” Theo shrugged, like it wasn’t the biggest deal in the world, but then again the jab was meant to poke fun and not be taken seriously, however when he glanced up to see just how unamused Scott was, the blue-eyed boy’s eyes went wide. “Sorry, I just…” Liam slapped him on the chest with the back of his hand, drawing his attention with an expression that just about called him a dumbass before Theo turned back to Scott. “She’s living at one of the farms on the outskirts of town with April.”

“How do you know?” Now Liam was curious, the two rarely left each other’s company but he was surprised at this knowledge.

“I told you about her when I trashed the truck last week. That night an animal…” Theo slowly tapered off, looking up at Scott before he finished his sentence. “I thought it was someone’s dog, but looking back, it was huge. It darted out in front of me, I swerved to avoid it and hit the post of one of the paddocks. When I went back to fess up, Lana answered the door.”

“And no one thought of telling me?” Scott clenched his fists, feeling a strange rage filling his senses and slowly he stood, shaking out of Stiles touch, his anchor, before he slipped around the chair, “I’m gonna…” he glanced around the group, “I’ll be back.”

What he heard as he headed for the restroom was Stiles defusing the situation and calming everyone down. They had never seen Scott off, and he knew it bothered him, but whatever was going on was out of his control and that was something that he couldn’t handle either.

Hands washed and headed back, he nodded at Stiles that was leaning against the bar, deep in a grinning conversation with a waitress, and made his way towards the table. That was when it hit him again, the scent, the overwhelming smell of fresh cut grass, wind on a fall day, and freedom. He stopped, braced himself at the end of the bar and breathed it in deeply, trying not to take in her scent. He’d be damned if he was going to lose control after fifteen years over smells, but this was toying with his senses and if it wasn’t for Stiles slapping a hand down on his shoulder, he knew he would have lost it.

“Scott?” That was a very authoritative voice if he ever heard one and suddenly the severity of the situation hit him. “Scott, go, I’ll take care of the bill.”

“My stuff?” he whispered low, but he knew that at least Liam was paying attention because the beta was suddenly on his feet, grabbing the jacket and helmet from the floor and heading out the door. Scott nodded, waited for Stiles to let go and bolted.

The deputy stood still for a moment, listened to the sounds of the breakfast crowd, but what he caught was a knife’s edge digging into wood, several knives, and only because it was close. When he turned, expecting to see Lana standing there, he saw no one, nothing but the four deep gouges in the bar, ones that highly resembled claw marks. That probably wasn’t going to go over well.

*****

Lana stood with her back pressed against the bathroom door, with it securely dead bolted and her eyes screwed tightly shut. She had held back for as long as she could, once the scent hit her. Stiles… Stiles wore it like a cologne, but it wasn’t him, he had his own scent, a sort of mix of paper, curiosity, and outdoors but nothing like this. No, whoever it was, Stiles was close enough to touch, for him to mark. Hug. That was it, someone Stiles was close enough to hug because he was married to Lydia and that scent was distinctly male.

And then it was so strong, it was the only thing that she could breathe in, and the wolf inside her shifted, brushed against her skin, dug to get out, to find him. He walked by, tall, black, curly hair, masculine in every way, and Lana blushed from the reaction. Thank God Stiles seemed clueless, because he grinned and just turned away, reaching out for the man.

Lana put her back to them, gripped the bar with force, the cramping in the pit of her stomach, the force of the need to shift under her skin was almost too much and her claws dug deep into the cherry oak finish. She flexed her jaw, making room for the canines that grew there, felt one slip through her skin inside her lip, tasted the copper of blood, but it was her eyes that she feared the most.

She made a beeline for the bathroom, ducking around other servers, somehow getting past April, and locked herself in. She shouldn’t have come to Beacon Hills, she was wrong to think she could ever get away, but this, this was very, very wrong.

The bang on the door had her jumping a foot, the feeling of it vibrated through her and she swallowed hard as she stepped away, glanced in the mirror and sighed. Normal, that was good, she looked normal, and with that she reached out, turned the bolt and opened the door.

Her aunt stood there, smiling widely, and it made Lana inwardly laugh because the only thing she could think of was the grin on her face made her aunt look like a big, bad wolf.

_“Better to eat you with, my dear.”_

Lana shook, stepping back as Bea moved forward, closing the door to give the two women privacy.

“Are you alright?” the older one questioned, looking her over.

“Um, yes,” she nodded, unsure herself but trying to come off as convincing, “I just… rough night.”

“Full moons around here can do that,” Bea grinned, and it was becoming a bit unsettling.

“Yeah, one more night, right?” Lana licked her lips, glanced around, looking for an out, but she was trapped and that wasn’t going over with her wolf very well at all. _Calm down, please, not here, just take a deep breath._ A running inner monologue with the animal inside had always been a great way to keep her down but right now she bristled at Lana’s words. “Aunt Bea, I have to go, I’m… um, I’m on shift, I have tables.”

“No,” and it was strict and left no argument, “Lana, I want you to go home, go outside and explore the woods.”

“What?” She blinked, because that order left nothing else to do.

“We’re going to make a new rule, regarding your schedule. Every month, the three days of the full moon phase, you’re going to take the day off.” She said it so casually, like it was nothing, and Lana gave her that curious look. “We can’t have you clawing up the bar when patrons get under your skin.”

“No, you’re right,” she nodded, but it was patrons plural, it was one, just one, and she didn’t even know who he was. Bea gave a curt nod and turned to leave. “Bea, who was that man?”

“You mean Stiles Stilinski, the deputy you were talking to?” And there was a tone there that she didn’t quite understand.

“No,” her aunt’s eyes went wide, “the other one, with the black hair.”

Bea’s smile turned over to an angry frown and she suddenly caged Lana back against the wall, eyes bright yellow and full of fury. In an answer to the threat, the wolf inside growled, and the world around the woman turned purple when Lana’s power shined in her own.

“You listen to me, Lana Ravenwolf, you stay way away from Scott McCall.” Inside, Lana stilled, the wolf even paused in its pacing and the way it rubbed just under her skin. McCall, the Alpha, the one she had met in the woods, that she had scented in the bar, and she pressed the wolf, calmed it from howling out to the pack, focused on the fury of her aunt. “The only thing associating with that pack is going to get you is dead.” Okay, she didn’t see that one coming. “Do you understand me? Stay away from Scott.”

“Okay,” was all she had, she couldn’t give her anymore.

“Good,” her aunt reached out and straightened her shirt, brushed a piece of hair from her forehead and plastered that wolfish smile on her face again, “go home and get some sleep.”

“Yes, Auntie,” she nodded quickly, “sure.”

But there was no way in hell that was happening now.

*****

“This is stupid,” she sighed, standing in the middle of the Preserve waiting to catch a scent, exactly like her aunt had told her _not_ to do. _His_ scent, no one else’s.

Her wolf, her counterpart, tickled against her, pacing, just under the surface, ready to get out. She knew she wasn’t like the others, one with their other halves. No, it’s why she ran. The wolf was its own entity, they just shared a body, for the most part.

Shifting wasn’t painful, she didn’t feel bones break, she didn’t contort like most, it was simple, almost like magic. She let her come to the surface, gave her body to the wolf and just like that, in a shimmer of lights and shadows, she was the one under the skin, and the wolf was free. They protected each other, used their separate abilities to survive, and it was the only way she had gotten this far.

She was a beta, a born wolf, with fangs, claws, power all her own, but when she was sixteen, she died. It wasn’t a tragic death, like the ones you see in the movies, nope, it was quiet and serene and lasted all of about five minutes. Her brother was driving, taking the back roads through the mountains during a snowstorm, trying to race it home. They hit a patch of ice, the truck rolled, and the next thing she knew, she was in a hospital, trying her damnedest to breath around a tube.

Her brother was asleep in the chair beside her bed, her parents were nowhere to be seen, but it was clear what had happened. She had died. It took until the next full moon to figure out the rest of the story and once the wolf emerged, shifting her into the body of what they were truly meant to be, that she understood _how_ she survived.

It wasn’t quite noon, of course it was September and fall was on its way, making the days feel a lot shorter than she was used to with the way the sun refused to shine through the trees. As her paws padded their way around the property line, making little to no noise, she felt at home for the first time in years. There was so much wide open space, so much woods to roam, but her nerves had always been on edge. She needed to stop obsessing, needed to drop it and with a huff, she headed home.

The Beacon Hills Preserve bordered the old Hale property so closely that lines were blurred where one ended and one began which is how she found herself padding around an old lot, the charred remains of a cellar hole was the only thing that yelled home once, but there were still the echoes of pain and death on the property as well, which stopped her at the tree line.

She didn’t recognize the old blue Jeep that rested on the packed dirt, nor did she remember ever seeing the black Camaro that shimmered in the fading light, but while the fact that these vehicle were parked so far out piqued her interest, she still couldn’t force the wolf to cross out of the trees.

Lowering her head, she sniffed quickly at the ground. Wet leaves, exhaust, Stiles, death. Wait. Her head snapped up as her eyes adjusted looking for body heat. Stiles? Why would Stiles be so far out in the woods? Did something happen? Was someone dead? This death smelled… old, but if Stiles was there, maybe there was a new body.

She felt her fur bristle at that, the thought of a body being so close to home and cautiously she stepped back. This was definitely not where she needed to be. Like a bad dog, she tucked her tail between her legs and turned, heading for home. She had seen too much to go digging into something she needed to stay the hell away from.

As she crossed the dirt road, ducked under the barbed-wire, and trotted casually across the pasture, the sound of an approaching vehicle caught her ear. She would never forget it, the screech of tires, the rumble of the engine of an older model truck. Okay, not older, but definitely past that twelve-year mark of being ‘new,’ but it wasn’t so much the sound of the truck that made it memorable and when she caught the way it turned onto the gravel driveway, her leisurely pace quickened.

Lana bolted for the barn, shifted back to human form and quickly yanked on the jeans and tee that waited there, and managed to nearly jump into her boots. She was wrestling with the hoodie when she stepped out into the driveway, though the open barn door and watched the blue, dual-cab pickup come to a stop. The engine cut as she leaned on the gate and watched as Theo Raeken, in all his twenty-six years of glory, jumped down from behind the wheel.

His blue eyes lit up at the sight of her standing there, ran a hand through the length of his wild hair and gave her a flirty smirk as he approached.

“Hey,” that smirk turned wide.

“Hey,” she shrugged in reply, “run into any more poles on the way here?”

“Nah, just that one, but I did spray paint ‘ _Theo was here’_ on it just for posterity,” he moved up beside her as they both turned and looked out over the pasture, observing the quiet millings of the three chestnut mares that grazed in the field. “Your uncle around?”

“Are you really going to help him change every bad post?” She turned to him quickly. It wasn’t that she didn’t believe him when he had volunteered a week ago to come out every day and make sure that her uncle John was set, it was just… she’d never met anyone quite like him. Theo shrugged.

“One goes down, they all go down, and those three,” he pointed to the horses, “they get out and no telling what could happen.”

“Why are you so concerned?” She saw the moment his thoughts turned dark, and the light faded from his eyes along with the smile.

“Just,” he paused, pain filled his eyes, before turning away from her, “bad stuff.”

Theo started to walk away, towards the barn and while that was definitely a _I don’t want to talk about it_ hint, she couldn’t just let him go. With a sigh, she followed, moving past the hay and into the boarding area. He shrugged off his coat, grabbed a pitchfork and opened one of the empty stalls. Lana reached out, grabbed his bicep, feeling his body tense. She stepped up behind him, knowing that the closeness could be perceived as so much more than comfort, but the signals he was giving off were painful. She needed to try something.

The moment her body heat touched the back of his arm, when she was flush against him from behind and her chin rested on his shoulder, close enough to his neck to smell his cologne, she felt all the tension run from his body. It soothed him, not the reaction she was expecting at all. In every other case the guy had thought she was making a move, turned it on her, and went in for the win, but Theo just relaxed everything, even his grip on the handle, and let out a long breath.

“It’s okay,” his voice was tender, reassuring and the fingers of his free hand tickled lightly on hers where she still gripped him. His head tipped lazily to the side, letting his cheek rest against her temple. Lana took a chance and closed her eyes, letting the feeling of _home_ , _pack_ , _safe_ flow to him. He shook as he exhaled, fingers still gliding over her skin. “Memories, right? They suck sometimes.”

“I’m sorry,” and with those words, he twisted against her, turning to wrap her in his arms. Lana stiffened, but when he made no other advances, only held her tightly against him, she caved and brought her hands up, clenching the fabric of his shirt as he brushed light kisses on her head. Unable to suppress a giggle, she mumbled against his chest. “What are you doing?”

“Seemed like you needed this too,” he shrugged, but never indicated the desire to move. “I saw you at work this morning, you seemed upset.”

“New town jitters, I guess,” she sighed, slowly backing out of his embrace. Theo didn’t even look embarrassed as they found a bale of hay to sit on across the way from each other. He let her study him, casually catching her eyes from under those long lashes. He came off as a playboy, someone who got their way by flirting, but she could see the hurt, the shyness as his walls came down. It made her think of the man who sat so closely beside him, the lack of personal space between them and then she remembered the rest of the table. “There’s so many of you.”

“We’re family,” he shrugged, pulling a foot up to rest on the bail, and he wrapped an arm around it, as if the explanation were just that easy. “And honestly, that’s not all of us.”

“Jesus, really?” To say she was shocked was an understatement, but she hadn’t scented anyone other than Scott in that whole group, even Stiles had to be close for her to get anything off him. Lana narrowed her eyes at Theo, thinking about the smell of his skin under her nose as she pressed against him. He smelled like the three things she tried to calm him with, home, pack, safety, and that was weird. “Weren’t you going to bring Liam?”

Theo blushed, which was cute for a guy his age, and he tried to hide the smile, but it didn’t work out so well. “He’s at school right now.”

“How old is he, I thought you guys were close? What is he going to school for?” The thought of the other boy, who she had seen at the breakfast gathering, still being in school gave her such a strange feeling. Life had taken a series of quick turns for her and school after the accident hadn’t been possible, at least not traditional schooling.

“Oh, yeah, guess that sounded odd. He’s a coach and a guidance counselor,” Theo shrugged, but she could tell he was proud. “When we met, he had some major anger issues, but now he’s helping kids.”

Lana sat forward, an idea racing through her head. She needed something, something more than Theo, more than Stiles. She didn’t want to be alone again, and just the two of them made her feel more connected than anyone else she had ever met, so with a deep breath, her hands tucked between her knees, she looked him straight in those bright blue eyes and bit her lip.

“Come out tonight,” her voice was soft, scared, and he knew it. He knew it was taking everything she had to ask.

Theo changed his position, matching hers to close the distance, even just a small bit. “Where?”

“The north side of the property, there’s a river that runs past a large clearing, we used to camp up there when I was little. You can drive right up to it.”

Theo nodded, looking as if he were contemplating it. “When?”

“Oh, um,” Lana hadn’t prepared for that, “sunset.”

“Sure,” and it was just that easy, and also the moment that her uncle walked into the barn. “Hey, John.”

“Lana?” he sighed, and she felt like a teen again instead of being twenty-something, “Bea said she sent you home, you wanna help with the fence?” He gave a quick glance at Theo and she knew just what he was trying to do. It was a set-up; he was trying to be a matchmaker. “We could use all the help we can get.”

“Actually,” she started but paused as she saw the smile creep up on Theo’s face, “sure.”

*****

The fire was warm, high enough to shed light on the surrounding area but still contained in the pit and Lana was leaning back against a fallen log, usually used as a bench but at the moment, she had her head back on the blanket that covered it and the ground and was staring up at the stars. The moon was just coming up over the trees, just enough to show her the waning moon. It was only the day after, so there was still so much left, enough to call out the wolf in her, but she was calm, she had spent the day with Theo and her uncle, which was weird, but she didn’t feel the need to move.

With a sigh, she reached for her bag, dug out the small half pint of whiskey and a vial of red liquid. She held it up, letting the firelight shine through the amber bottle before she unscrewed both caps and mixed it together thoroughly. Wolves couldn’t get drunk, it was something about the high rate of their metabolism, but the vial contained red wolfsbane, a less potent strain of the more harmful one that she tried to avoid at all cost.

It created a fusion that let her feel some of the effects without the hangover and becoming completely intoxicated. She didn’t need that tonight, she just wanted to let loose. She knew she could do that with Theo, but Liam… they seemed so connected. Even more so when Theo told her the story on how the boys met and their odd tactile need.

 _“We’re not together,”_ he was so adamant that she believed him that for just a second she thought he might be denying it because neither were ready to come out, but when he went onto explain how Liam kept him human and Theo kept the other grounded, she suddenly understood. They were anchors. Some wolves had them to help control the shifts, but she had found along the way that humans had them too, for mental health. _“He’s one of my best friends, we’re more like brothers.”_

Pack mates. She knew it now. Whatever strange family dynamic they had going on with Scott and Stiles, one thing was perfectly clear, wolves or not, they were all pack.

Downing several large swallows of the concoction in her hand, Lana closed her eyes and let the burn remind her that at least some part of her was human. She sat motionless for a moment, let the wolfsbane flow into her bloodstream then slowly moved to find her Bluetooth speaker. She didn’t want the Alpha around, so human music might deter him from making his presence known, though the fact that two of his family would arrive soon… Lana paused.

She mumbled out a quiet, “fuck it,” and pressed play on Spotify, the first notes of “Whiskey Breath,” from Five North began to fill the air. She got to her feet, closed her eyes and let her body move to the music.

*****

Liam’s bright blue eyes went wide, and his hand braced against the dash as Theo pulled the truck to a stop at the end of the bumpy dirt trail. It couldn’t even be called a road anymore with how overgrown it was, but the entrance was clear, and Theo could hear the music from the road.

She was up there waiting for them.

He could tell the instant that Liam’s nerves kicked in. It had been a very long time since he had been around anyone besides the pack and the kids from school. He avoided the teachers’ lounge, tried hard to get out of staff meetings and gatherings and it wasn’t like he was anti-social, he just didn’t like people. They gave off too many chemo signals, too much emotions and that all translated to smells and odd feelings. It was enough to have Theo nearby or on call, but in school gatherings where he wasn’t allowed, that didn’t go over well at all.

He saw the small smirk ride up on the corner of Theo’s lips as the older beta stared out the window at the woman, and his eyes flashed a bright gold, which immediately got Theo’s attention, snapping his gaze from Lana to Liam.

“Oh, God, are you seriously jealous?” Theo chuckled, which wiped the glare right off the younger one’s face. Liam blinked, turned to watch the swaying woman and fought to find the words. “You think I’m going to trade you in for her?”

“What?” Liam stumbled before shaking his head, “no, it’s just…” he ran a hand through his hair and sighed. “You realized you haven’t looked at a woman in, well, forever, not like that.”

“Like what?” Now Theo was confused, he didn’t think he was staring at her any different than he looked at… “Oh, Jesus.”

“Yeah, like you want to keep her.” Liam raised a brow, basically telling the older man that he knew that he was right, which got a huff and a shrug in reply. “It’s okay, you know, to want someone.”

“But I don’t,” Theo shifted in the seat, turning off the truck completely, which meant lights and keys. “I don’t want her that way.” Liam saw the uncertainty on his friend’s face, heard the shake in his breath as he drew in deep before letting it out. “I think she’s some sort of shifter.”

“What?” This was a thing of his, constantly questioning, “how is that possible? How could Scott not know that another shifter was here? We haven’t had a new arrival since the Nemeton shriveled. You would have thought at least Lydia would have a clue.”

“That’s the problem, I don’t know what she is,” Theo ran a hand through his hair, then back down his face, “when she touched me earlier, I could feel her pulling on me.”

“Ha ha,” Liam smirked, “how was it?”

“Not that way, you fucking perv! Pulling on my other half, she was healing me, and my whole body just gave in.” Theo scratched at his chin, letting the bristle of his five-o'clock shadow ground him. “I just turned around and held her, but there was something… I could feel something when I wrapped my arms around her, Liam, like another presence.”

“You think she’s a wolf?”

“I don’t know,” he tapped on the dash and looked out at her again, “I don’t want to bring it up until she trusts me, what if she doesn’t know?”

“How could she not, I mean I have never met anyone that doesn’t know about their wolf because of the shifts, the anger.” Liam turned in the seat to face her, leaning forward as he focused on the way she moved. “She’s definitely graceful.”

“Yeah, I’m sure that’s exactly what you’re thinking when you’re staring at her hips,” Theo cracked as he opened the door, looking at the blush that colored Liam’s cheeks. “Don’t deny it, I heard your heart rate rise.”

“Screw you!” The younger beta growled, slipping out of his side of the truck. Liam slowed his heart, reigned in the feeling of fight or flight that seemed to take over his body the closer they got, and locked eyes with the woman over the firelight. The instant he was close enough, standing upwind from where she was, he could sense it, smell it. Theo was right. He tucked his hands in the back pocket of his jeans and gave her a nervous smile. “Hi.”

“Um,” the twitch of her lips as she returned that grin set everything in him at ease, “hi.” He braced himself as she stepped forward, extending her hand, “you must be Liam, Theo’s told me a lot about you.”

“Yeah,” he nodded, probably over doing it, and his eyes tracked Theo’s progress around the fire, “he tends to do that.” Theo stepped up behind her, hands running along her hips, and Liam’s eyes were drawn there, but what got him was how she didn’t move, there was no flinch, no tick of her heart, she just let Theo wrap around her and put his chin on her shoulder. “Welcome to Beacon Hills.”

“Thanks,” her nervous grin changed to a full on smile when she tilted her head just a bit to connect with the man behind her. Theo had that way about him, despite the bad stuff, the whole killing people and kidnapping, wanting to take Scott’s pack from him. That was so many years ago, and he had become a different person, so completely different that Liam could see the way he calmed the woman before him. “Come on,” her eyes landed on his, “come sit.”

Hours passed as the three of them talked, shifting closer to one another, hands connecting whenever they could, until the music was cranked up and Liam, nervous as hell, stood and held a hand down for her.

“Dance with me,” and Liam _hated_ dancing, so to see the wide-eyed look on Theo’s face was quickly becoming his favorite expression.

“Okay, but just a minute,” Lana grabbed her phone, flipped through her playlist and Liam rolled his eyes as the upbeat song began to play. “I don’t like slow dancing.”

“Me either,” he felt her fingers slip into his hand before he tugged her to her feet and pulled her close. He could do this, she was okay with it, and just being around her set everything at ease.

He was caught in her bright eyes and even with the tempo, he felt himself swaying with her, joined from hips to chest, and his heartbeat quickly rose. She wouldn’t let him go, wouldn’t let his eyes tear away, and that was completely fine with that because he didn’t want to see anything else. He saw her lips part, the tip of her tongue glide out and moisten them, and he swallowed hard. It shouldn’t be like this, he shouldn’t be feeling this… pull, when he’s close to a woman he just met.

That was when he scented it, light but still there, Theo was right, she was a shifter. Liam watched in fascination as her lids drifted closed just as he felt the tender touch of Theo’s hands along his own arm. Glancing up just past her shoulder, he saw the other man’s forehead pressed against the back of hers, his hands tightening on Liam’s shirt as the three danced together.

It wasn’t wild, or sexual, it was calming, wrapping her in a warmth of security and home, something he just had a feeling she needed, and they stayed like that for a very long time.

*****

Lana opened her eyes, stretched against the length of Theo, but snuggled down further into the warmth of his embrace, as she turned her nose towards his chest, taking in his scent and the beat of his heart. She had no clue what time it was, but it wasn’t as late as she had expected. Behind her, Liam shifted, pressing against her, nose to the back of her neck as his arm reached across her shoulder, looking for a connection with Theo. Absently, the older one reached up and captured the roaming hand, bringing it to rest close to Lana’s face.

She felt Liam relax against her, felt his breath warm in her hair and against her skin and she turned her head just a bit, and stopped. Her whole body tensed as she drew in his scent. He smelled a little like Scott, a lot like adrenaline, and just underneath it, the same earthy tone that Theo held.

She tried to keep her heart steady as she moved back towards the man beneath her, closer to his neck, and armpit, where his sweat glands couldn’t lie. She should have known; she should have listened to her body when it gave in so easily to them.

Fear permeated the air, and she moved from between them, standing on the other side of the fire, trying to control her heart. Theo sat up quickly, Liam took a little bit to come to, but the instant both of them had her in their sights, they knew.

Her claws sprung forth, the deep growl of their only warning echoed through the air, and with bared fangs, the rocking of her body ready to run, Lana let her power show.

“Jesus,” Theo moved slowly, hands braced on the log behind him, but it was Liam that reacted. His eyes glowed golden, his lips pulled back to show his fangs but the hold on his shirt kept him from moving as Theo held on tight. “Lana, wait.”

“No,” her voice sang with the power of the wolf, but she didn’t move, “no, you have to get away.”

“Just wait,” Theo begged, and Liam took his eyes off her to stare at him, “we don’t want to hurt you,” but her eyes narrowed on Liam. Okay, she had a point, and he batted at the younger one beside him, who slowly let the power fade. “We’re pack, this is our territory.”

“I’ll leave,” she was terrified. She had avoided other wolves for that reason alone. Territory only meant one thing, death, but it wasn’t Theo that protested.

“You can’t,” it wasn’t an order, it was a plea and it came from Liam, which had her standing straight, the claws fading, but her eyes still held their bright power. “I didn’t mean…” Liam huffed; he was so bad at this. He pried Theo’s hand from his shirt, held one up and slowly rose to his feet. “Please… just… Lana, stay.”

“You don’t understand,” but the look on Theo’s face. She glanced back and forth between them, “I’m not like you.”

That was when Theo chuckled, a sound that caught both of their attention as he slowly got to his feet, slowly unbuttoning his shirt. “You might find that there’s a lot of that around here.”

“What are you doing?” Her fangs retracted as she became curious and confused.

“Theo,” it was a warning growl from Liam, and her eyes were right back on him, but the bright blue of the younger wolf wasn’t anger, it was caution.

“It’s fine, Liam,” he raised a hand to stay his friend but saw Lana blink, then flush when Theo went for the button on his jeans. “I know, it’s weird but I’d rather not rip my clothes.”

“What are you…” and then she drew in a deep breath, her heart racing as she started at the mixed breed. He was black, with a full, thick coat, larger than a coyote, smaller than a wolf, but definitely supernatural. He whined at her, paced before he brushed against Liam’s knees, letting the beta’s hands run along his back. “You can full shift?”

“He’s a were-coyote, apparently they all can do that,” Liam answered with a shrug and smiled as she tilted her head just a bit, looking at him with a confused expression, “he’s half wolf too, a chimera, and not our only coyote.”

“What kind of pack do you have?” She stepped back just a bit but didn’t make as if to run. “Okay, um…” Liam paused, his hands on Theo as she started to pace the other side of the fire. “I’m insane,” she whispered, letting out a breath, “I’m actually going to do this.” Lana’s eyes went right to Liam’s locking onto his blue ones again for the thousandth time that night, making a connection, a plea. “Promise you won’t tell a soul.”

“I don’t…” but Theo whined, and Liam nodded, “I won’t tell anyone.”

With a deep breath in, Lana grabbed the end of her shirt, turned away from the boys and stripped it off but what happened next was so fast, Liam wasn’t even sure what the hell he had just seen. There was no painful shift, no sounds of bones breaking and reforming, no she stepped into the darkness just passed the edge of the fire and came back a beautiful chestnut wolf, almost the same size as Theo, but the purple shine of her eyes told him she was so much more.

Liam slowly crouched down, holding his hand out to her as she slowly made her way over letting the tip of her muzzle brush against his fingers. He smiled, his eyes shining gold before he reached out and let his fingers run through her fur. Theo whined again, yipped and brushed against her, letting his whole body touch before he nipped at her neck.

Lana nipped back moving around to lean up against the back of Liam before she ducked down between his legs and came up through, nearly knocking him over. Theo’s eyes moved to his friend’s, then glanced out at the night before going down to the wolf that sat between his legs.

“Yeah, go,” he grinned, not wanting to hold them back. They hadn’t had another evolved wolf since Derek, so he needed to see her move, to run free. Theo moved out to the edge of the firelight and glanced back, barking at the one who had cuddled close to Liam. The beta reached down, wrapped his arms around her neck and whispered in her ear. “It’s alright, he’ll keep you safe.” she leaned her head back, licking at his cheek with her long tongue and Liam mocked a gag. “Go on, run.”

*****

Lana had never gone so fast, not without being chased, but as she and Theo moved through the woods, she felt an exhilaration that she’s never had before. She felt safe, even with the chimera on her tail, and the wolf would have purred if she could, as it was, they were yipping and nipping at each other as Theo circled around her, darting passed only to come back around to knock her over in a clearing.

The two moved as one sometimes and stopped to drink at a small stream, but that was when Lana caught it, the scent of the Alpha from the other night, and she turned in the direction it came. Theo watched her with curious eyes like he didn’t smell a thing but was right on her tail when she took off.

He stood in a clearing not more than a mile away, looking in a circle, unaware of the danger that lingered close by. Lana hadn’t even come to a full stop when she saw it, a large black wolf, and she charged.

Snarling, she grabbed the wolf by its neck, having caught it completely by surprise and the two rolled, wrestling with each other. She could hear Theo over the sounds of her heart, of the wolf beneath her and that alone got her to stop.

She shifted just as her claws buried deep into the right side of his chest, and the man beneath her went still, howling in pain, but he didn’t move as they stared. His bright eyes glowed with a bright omega blue, and she bared her fangs, claws digging down deeper. He shifted his hands, resting them on her bare hips as she covered him, but he wasn’t defending himself, there were no claws, no fangs, just the power in his eyes.

“LANA!” Theo’s voice echoed through the woods.

She didn’t have to look to see where he stood, but it was the scent of the Alpha that had her lips parting. She pushed herself higher, sliding along the sweat soaked body beneath her until she was hovering over him. He let the power fade.

“Lana?” That was Scott’s voice, and that did catch her attention, she turned those purple eyes in his direction, just for an instant, before she was gone, leaving the three men in the woods alone.

*****

Earlier Derek had called, not a big surprise since Scott knew that he was in the area, Argent had told him every time Derek crossed into the territory, which was fine, it was rightfully Hale Pack lands, but the fact that Derek had asked to meet him in the clearing where the house used to be was something offsetting. They had already been there earlier, or at least, Scott had seen the car when he made his rounds with Stiles, but this was different.

He had his ears open, listening for the sound of Derek’s approach when it happened so fast. The wolf came from his left, attacking Derek who was just clearing the tree line in front of him. He didn’t know what was going on, but by the sounds of everything, he was pretty sure they were ripping each other apart.

It was the appearance of the naked chimera screaming her name that finally had Scott realizing that Derek had stopped fighting her long before, and now he watched her shift, the long lines of her naked body covering Derek as he lay on the forest floor, hands on her hips, blue eyes locked on hers, but Scott could smell blood.

“Lana?” Scott breathed in her scent, so much more powerful now that she was bare of clothing and he couldn’t help the flare of red in his eyes. He needed to touch her, needed to reach out and gather her in his arms. He just _needed_ so much, but the moment he said her name, she caught his eyes, and moved faster than he had ever seen, disappearing into the woods.

Derek moaned, pushing into a sitting position, bringing his knee up to be at least a little modest, but Theo danced in his spot, completely uncaring of his state of undress. His frightened eyes went from Scott to Derek, then to the woods.

“Theo?” Scott whispered, trying not to spook him.

“I have to…” he stammered, eyes going back to the darkness. “I’m sorry.”

And then he was gone.

Scott ran his hands through his hair, his lips moving in a quiet _“what the fuck”_ motion before he sat down in the spot he had just been standing in.

“So, I came to talk to you about Lana Ravenwolf,” Derek shrugged, holding his hand out towards the woods, “maybe you don’t need to hear it.”

“No, I do,” Scott sighed, “trust me, I do.”

“You don’t know who she is, do you?” Derek grinned at the frustrated look on his face. “Wait, you don’t have a clue.”

“I don’t understand where she came from, why she attacked you.” The least he could do was be honest, “I don’t understand how come I can’t get her out of my head, and I really, really don’t get why her scent makes me go all…”

“Wolfie?” Derek laughed.

Scott narrowed his eyes, “Stiles said the same thing,” he huffed and forget being nearly thirty, he felt like he was in high school again trying to figure out his feelings for Allison. “What the hell is happening?”

“You said you could scent her?” Derek’s laugh died slowly as he focused his eyes at the alpha.

“Yeah, it’s like, I don’t know, pheromones, something that’s distinctly her, and every time it gets worse.”

“What does?”

Scott huffed. “Mine,” was all he whispered, growled was more like it, “the thoughts that she’s mine and I need to have her, to protect her,” he scoffed and shook his head, “and I haven’t even talked to her yet.”

“Mates,” Derek’s voice was soft, but it still got Scott’s attention. “I wouldn’t be surprised if it happened to you.”

“Okay, one, what the hell are you talking about, and two, you said you came here to tell me about her, so, out with it, and why the hell was Theo running with her?” Scott sounded like one of those bratty high school kids again.

“Let’s go with Lana Ravenwolf is something that really does need protecting, so you’re not far from the truth. She’s been on the run for a while, but she’s not your usual evolved wolf, Scott, she’s something special. She’s a symbiote.” Derek shifted, still covering himself but got into more of a comfortable position before he rolled his eyes. “Can we go back to the loft or something. The weather’s great for a full coat, but not so much on human skin.”

“Yeah, I brought the truck, so I’ll drive you.” Scott stood, turning his back as Derek shifted and trotted along beside him until they got to the waiting pickup. He glanced at the wolf, resigned to the fact that Derek wasn’t turning back and opened the door to let him in.

On the top floor of the industrial building that Derek owned, Scott stood at the windows looking over Beacon Hills as the wolf turned human walked back in, pulling a shirt down over his body. He sighed as the Alpha continued to stare before he stepped up beside him.

“She’s out there,” Scott sighed, and Derek patted him on the shoulder. “You said she was a symbiote, what does that mean? Is she dangerous?”

“No, just unique,” Derek moved towards the bookshelves, lined with old volumes, and took one gently from its place. “She’s a born wolf, no doubt having her own powers, but without a pack, she’s an omega, which is the blue of her eye color.” He set the book down on the table and opened it to a specific page, gesturing Scott to come over. “When she was sixteen, she died, or more to the point, her body died.”

“Jesus,” Scott looked down at the handful of photos that lay between the pages of the book. One of them was Lana, clearly dead, just pulled from the wreckage of the vehicle behind her. “What happened?”

“They’re not sure, but they think she melded with an animal spirit, one that recognized her as a wolf and wanted to keep her alive.”

“Melded?” Scott’s confusion only served to make Derek smile.

“Maybe that’s not the right wording. It doesn’t matter what it’s called, all we know is that she and the wolf spirit in her share a body. She can fully shift, as you clearly saw, but the spirit in her calls for an Alpha, which is the other aspect of her eye color, red. It’s why her power is purple, the mixture of the two halves.” Derek crossed his arms, regarded Scott softly and cleared his throat. “On to your other question, no she’s not dangerous, she’s in danger. There aren’t very many symbiote wolves out there, she’s rare, really rare, so that makes her a target. I came back because I heard she was here and Scott, we need to make sure she stays safe.”

“Yeah,” he whispered, still staring at the intrigue drawings of the shifting wolves, “that’s not going to be a problem.”

“As for Theo, did you tell me he was helping out at a farm during the day?” Scott stood straight and looked at him with just a bit of recognition, “and she’s April’s cousin, right?”

“It’s her family’s farm,” Scott rolled his eyes, grabbed his phone from his pocket and started to send out a text to both Theo and Liam but Derek’s hand blocked the screen.

“You need to take this very slowly,” the older wolf warned.

Scott paused, nodded, and put the phone away. “What did you mean about mates?”

Derek grinned, something that they didn’t often see, but this was full of mirth and just enough teasing that Scott blushed. The older one headed for the shelf again and brought back a smaller volume.

“There’s an old myth about true mates, and while we haven’t seen in any lifetime that I know of, the Druids wrote about it here.” He handed it to Scott, releasing it when the alpha had it in his hand. “The story goes that when the time of shifters began, the wolf couldn’t find peace so the gods gave it a mate, another half of its soul, something to sooth the shift and take the anger, but as things go, the wolves pissed off the Gods and as punishment they split the mates, placing a curse upon them that they would only find true happiness, true peace when they found their other half. But they didn’t make that easy.”

“Wait, are you saying that’s why no one’s worked,” Scott paused, “with me?”

“It’s possible but doubtful,” Derek shrugged, which had Scott turning to follow his movement. “Like I said, true mates were supposed to be a myth, but it’s the only thing I can think of to explain your reaction to her, and obviously her reaction to you.”

“What reaction?”

“How are you an alpha?” Derek smirked, teasingly, “you really don’t know?”

“I know that she confuses me, she ramps up my aggression, and she makes me want to hide all at the same time,” that probably wasn’t the whole of his emotions when he was near her, but that summed it up as much as it could.

“She was protecting _you_ ,” Derek huffed, “she didn’t come after me because I was a wolf, she came at me because I was a direct threat to you, her mate.”

Scott blinked, shook his head, and started to pace. “I didn’t even know she was in the woods.”

“No, but from somewhere she caught your scent, sought you out, and saw me as an enemy on your land threatening you.” Derek raised a brow as Scott took this all in, before the alpha relaxed against the table. “At some point, the two of you are going to have to get together, see how you react in close contact.”

“What about Theo?”

“We already covered that,” Derek pressed the bridge of his nose in frustration.

“No, she reacted to him too, you saw it, not by look but she stilled when he said her name.”

“And they were running together, Scott,” Derek huffed coming closer, “she also smelled like Liam, and fire, so I’m pretty sure they were all just together…” Scott growled, “and that’s why you need to get this cleared up. Your pack isn’t going to take her, but she’s going to be drawn to the safer ones first. Theo was helping her uncle, Liam is, by nature, an extension of Theo. It makes sense that the three of them would be drawn to each other.”

“Stiles knows her.” Scott groaned, which wasn’t so much a bad thing, it was him controlling the jealousy.

“Stiles is a busy-body, he knows everyone, and he knows everyone’s business,” Derek sounded like the jealous one at that moment. “Not to mention that he practically lives at the bar when he’s not at home with Lydia.” Derek paused. “That’s it.”

“What’s it?”

“Lydia,” and Derek was dashing through the room, “Lydia is still a banshee, she knows things, so why wouldn’t she know about Lana.”

“I don’t want to get her involved, Allison isn’t feeling well,” this made Derek stop again, eyes growing with concern, “she’s fine, just a cold.”

“Okay, so if not Lydia, then Mason?”

Scott sighed, placed the book down on the table and shook his head. “You know what, I’m just going to go home, and…I don’t know.”

“Scott,” Derek’s voice stopped him at the door, his hand gripping the iron handle, “be gentle, take your time, she’s fragile.”

“I know,” was the only reply the Alpha gave before he walked out, closing the door behind him.

*****

Liam looked up towards the barn door, the sound of the Jeep’s clunky engine had him stop the track he was creating in the fresh hay. He breathed in slowly, glanced back at the way Theo leaned against the wooden door, his eyes closed, but with his arms wrapped tightly around the woman bundled in a blanket.

The door slammed shut, the sound of boots hit the gravel and that got Theo to shine bright golden eyes in the direction that Liam was facing, standing between them and the door, protecting. Liam growled low, his fingers flicked out and his eyes trained on the heat signature that approached.

Stiles rounded the corner, stopping dead in his tracks as he zoned in on the feral looking werewolf.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” he swallowed, hands raised as if that would stop Liam from charging, “stand down, little wolf, it’s just me.” Liam took in as much air as he could, expanding his chest before blowing it out several times, and Stiles waited until the power faded and the claws retracted before taking a step closer. “You called me, remember?”

“Yeah, sorry, it’s just,” Liam glanced back at the duo that had now shifted behind a few bales of hay, “I couldn’t be too sure.”

“So, what’s going on?” Stiles looked beyond the younger man at the two sets of legs that stuck out. Theo stood slowly, and the other pair disappeared. “Theo?”

“We have a problem,” the chimera sighed, reaching down for whoever was hiding. Stiles' eyes went wide as Lana slowly stood, pulling the blanket tighter.

“Oh, what the hell, boys,” Stiles rubbed both hands down his face, “what did you do?”

“Lana needs help,” Liam stepped back, nearly creating a wall between the pair and the deputy, “she attacked Derek.”

“What?” The deputy blinked back the confusion and the fear, “Lana, are you okay? What were you thinking?”

“She _thought_ he was going after Scott.” Theo barked, as he pushed the girl behind him.

“Scott? Jesus, what did you get into?” Stiles crossed his arms and stared up at the ceiling. “Okay,” he moved quickly, closing the barn door before he approached, something that had both boys standing at full attention and ready to spring, “hold up, you two,” he huffed, “I’m not going to hurt her, I just need to get her story, now back off.” They didn’t move an inch, “Lana, tell them to stand down.”

Her hand came up over Theo’s shoulder, resting lightly on his skin, and he saw the moment Theo relaxed. Her voice was soft, but not so much that Stiles didn’t hear her words.

“It’s okay, it’s Stiles, he’s not going to do anything,” and Liam let out a small snarl, “Liam, please.”

The shaky release of his pent up frustration was all Stiles heard before the younger man stepped back once more. When she came forward, Stiles made note of the way the dirt covered her face and arms, any bare skin that could be seen from under the blanket and he closed his eyes for just a second.

“Are you even wearing anything under that?” Not that he really wanted to know, but seriously, this pack was way too lenient on nudity. Theo cleared his throat, Liam chuckled, but it was the blush on her face that told Stiles the whole truth. “Oh, God, can you please put some clothes on.”

“They’re out at the campfire.” Liam sighed, but stripped off his own button-down for her to pull on. It was long enough to reach her knees, but Stiles still stood with his back to them. “She’s covered.”

Stiles glanced over her and sighed, “not by much.” But that wasn’t his concern at the moment. “So, why did you call me?”

“We told you, she attacked Derek,” Theo pointed out.

“We need to make sure she’s safe, that he’s not going to come back in retaliation.” Liam added, but Stiles was looking right at Lana, not the boys.

“I thought,” she cleared her throat, “I thought he was going after Scott, so I just…” Lana looked down, defeated and lost, “I had to protect him.”

“Why?” It was an honest question and Stiles really needed to know, especially after the way the two of them reacted to each other. “You know he’s an alpha, he can take care of himself.”

“I know,” she sighed, sitting down on the bale beside her, “but instinct said to protect what’s mine.” Theo and Liam both turned towards her, towards the purple glow in her eyes as her tone shifted. They could hear the wolf in her voice, and so could Stiles, who shook his head. “And he is mine, Stiles, I don’t know why.”

“I do,” which caught the attention of her protectors. “Derek explained it to Scott, who just chewed my ear off explaining it to me, but we can’t know if it’s true until the two of you are in the same place.”

“That sounds like a very bad idea.” Theo mumbled, his hand going to the back of Lana’s neck as he closed the distance between them.

“Yeah, not the best plan ever,” Liam crossed his arms, taking her other side as he pressed close.

The radio on Stiles shoulder clicked and buzzed before dispatch came online. _“All units in the vicinity of the Beacon Hills Preserve, we have a possible 11-44, all units please respond.”_

“Looks like it just got worse,” Stiles sighed, looking at the three of them, and placed his hands on his hips. “Listen, do me a favor, get her dressed and go to the loft.”

“Derek’s loft?” Theo snorted.

“Bring her right to him?” Liam looked at him as if he were insane.

“I know,” Stiles raised his hand, trying to stop them before they really went off, “I know it sounds like we’re giving her up, but he knows more than I do, and we need to keep her safe, so just take her to the loft. The rest of us will meet you there.”

He turned, hand on his gun, and started to walk away, but he caught the movement behind him just before he heard her voice.

“Stiles,” he licked his lips and turned to look at Lana, “what’s an 11-44?”

He swallowed hard, looked at each of the boys before he landed on her, locking those bright eyes in his sights and sighed.

“A dead body.” Stiles disappeared, the heavy barn door slammed shut behind him, leaving the three of them to look at each other.

Liam took her hand, holding it tightly in his grasp as he and Theo caught each other’s worried gaze just as the Jeep peeled out of the driveway.


	2. Episode Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> To be honest, I have this whole thing plotted out in my head (mostly), I'm just not sure how often I'm going to post. 12K-ish chapters are hard to do. 
> 
> But until we figure this out, here's episode two.
> 
> Let me know what you think. I started to timestamp so we get a little bit of a clue as to what time of day it is.
> 
> Again, no beta (giggle) except maybe Theo and Liam...

Episode 1x02

Friday, just before midnight

Stiles scowled as he drove down the old dirt road, around the strange twists and turns that made up the way to the Preserve. He was pissed, more than that he was pissed at the one person that was supposed to be helping him, not throwing problems his way.

A dead body? A dead Goddamned body! That was great! It was fan-fucking-tastic, just what he needed! His dad was at some  _ Sheriff Convention _ , Parrish was away on leave, which was code for Hellhound stuff, Harbinger of Death training or something like that and here he was, left with some damn rookie squad, a dead body, and oh yeah, Scott’s  _ MATE _ !

Reaching out to the console, he pressed the call button on his phone. “Call Morrell.”

_ “Calling Morrell,” _ the electronic voice replied, and Stiles let go of the wheel once more to run his hand down his face.

“Stiles, what do you want?” Her voice was snippy, something he thought he would get used to with all the times he had dealt with her, which had been way too often since Deaton died, and grumbled under his breath.

“A symbiote? You sent me a symbiote? I don’t even know what the hell that is, Marin, but right now it’s bad, really, really bad!” Stiles rambled as he placed both hands back on the yanking wheel trying to keep the Jeep straight. “Did you know she was Scott’s mate? Do you know what that even is? Because I don’t have a fucking clue, but here I am, trying to keep her from killing anyone that goes next to him, on top of keeping Scott from going all wolfie in front of the whole town. Do you know how much energy it takes to keep him from going ape shit? He’s bigger than me.”

“Stiles,” she huffed, waiting for him to finish.

“And another thing, she can shift! She can full shift, I thought she was just a bitten wolf, thanks for correcting that misinformation, by the way, and apparently now there’s a dead damn body!” He snapped out, “tell me something good, Marin, tell me you have answers, cause I’m going out on a limb here, sending them to Derek.”

“No!” and that got his attention, “you can’t send them there.”

“Well, too late, our little alpha-in-training’s with her to make sure she gets there safe, Theo’s with them, and let me tell you, it’s like they’ve switched sides.”

“They haven’t,” she sounded like his freak-out was just some teenage tantrum from the guidance office and Stiles rolled his eyes because it had been a long time since he was in high school. “They’re protecting her because they know she’s important, she’s also an alpha in her own right. I sent her to Beacon Hills for that reason, Stiles, I knew she would be safe with your pack, and to be honest, I had no clue about the mate thing. Explain it to me.”

To the best of his ability, Stiles told her everything that he learned, not only from a very freaked out alpha, but also from talking to Derek to clear up the things that Scott had obviously left out. When he was finished, he could see the lights of the patrol cars and the spotlights that flooded the crime scene.

“I’ve never heard of it in my lifetime,” Marin didn’t seem at all upset about the new development, she sounded oddly unfazed. “Actually, I’ve never heard of it in anything but lore, but it doesn’t mean it couldn’t happen. Beacon Hills had the Nemeton, just because the tree itself is dead doesn’t mean the magic doesn’t flow there, maybe it’s looking for another source of power.”

“What about the whole symbiote thing, you didn’t tell me that, you just said to set her up with a place to go.” Stiles put the car in park and reached for his “crime bag,” one he had started carrying just after leaving the FBI. Gloves, masks, all sorts of evidence bags, anything that he might need to hide supernatural stuff. He slipped the gloves on as he closed his eyes, preparing for the worst. “Had I known, if I had a clue, Marin, I wouldn’t have…”

“It just means that her wolf and herself are two sparks that coexist in one body, Stiles, it’s not that hard. As for the body, I won’t know until you send me what you find,” she stopped talking, waited on his answer and when he snorted, she finished. “Protect the girl, Stiles, that’s all I’m asking you to do. Protect her at all costs.”

“Fine,” and with that, he hung up.

*****

Stiles flashed back to that night of Sophomore year when he convinced Scott to come into the woods to find the body, well, half a body. The problem is right now, at this very moment, Stiles was looking at only half of another one, another dead girl in the middle of the woods.

Crouching down over the scene, he dropped his head to his chest. He really didn’t need this while Parrish and his dad were gone, not while Scott was having some sort of time warp freak out back to when he first got a crush on a girl, not while said girl was causing some weird behavior in other members of the pack and certainly not on the night after the full moon.

He looked over the upper half of the corpse, face strangely mutilated enough to keep her identity secret for the moment, but it was the lack of wounds otherwise that seemed to confuse him. This wasn’t a wolf attack, not any animal that he could see, because there were no claw marks, or bite marks. Hell, there weren't any defense wounds that he could spot at all.

It was then that he saw it, tucked just under the blood-soaked hair by her ear. Stiles glanced up at the waiting MEs, the way they shifted in their spot, and slowly he reached down, shifted the hair aside and took a quick breath.  _ Ah, fuck! _ With a small shake of his head, he grabbed the silver item from the ground, tucked it into his palm and closed his fingers around it.

“Alright,” he sighed, standing, looking at the ground around the body, making note of the lack of track marks, like she had just been dumped from the sky. Rolling his eyes, he put his hands on his hips and looked up, straight through the trees to the starry night sky. “Oh, please don’t let it be dragons.”

“You say something boss?” One of the MEs asked as he moved slowly closer with the body bag.

“Nah,” Stiles shrugged, “just thinking out loud.” He glanced at the waiting officers. “Okay,” he twirled his fingers in the air, “let’s wrap this up and call it a night.”

Stepping away from the crime scene, Stiles pulled off the gloves, tucking them inside one another, hiding the small piece of evidence before he stuffed it all in his pockets and reached for his keys, just as his cell rang. Pulling it out, he glanced at the screen and placed it gently to his ear. “Scott?”

“Stiles,” there were tears in his voice, “I think…” his breathing was rushed, and he could hear the full on panic in his tone, “I think I’m having a panic attack.”

The words didn’t come out quite that clear, but he could always speak McCall when he needed to. Stiles rushed to the Jeep.

“Okay, okay listen, just keep breathing, I’m on my way,” shit, shit, shit. This wasn’t good. Scott had a tendency to do very bad things with his claws in order to keep control. With the Jeep in drive, he rushed down the dirt road. “Scott, keep talking to me,” there was nothing but pained growls on the other end. “Scott! Don’t do this, come on, talk to me.”

Nothing.

“Scott!”  _ Dammit! _ “SCOTT!”

*****

The house was dark when Stiles arrived, pulling the Jeep as close to the garage as he could. He knew Scott wasn’t at the apartment, he wasn’t at the Rescue either, because Scott only went one place when he wasn’t in control.

Stiles threw the door open, stood quietly and listened, hoping to hear something, but there weren’t even comedic crickets. He struggled to get the key from the lock before he clicked on the flashlight and slowly moved through the house, it wasn’t like he didn’t know it inside and out, but it was a Maglite, and pretty handy as a weapon. The upstairs would be too obvious and the fact that Melissa had long ago moved her boyfriend in cut the possibility of Scott using his room. They had turned it into an office.

He made his way through the kitchen, noting the overturned dishes on the island counter, the water from a fresh vase of flowers on the floor. Melissa was going to kill her kid when she saw this. He reached for the basement door, expecting in some weird way for it to fly open and a werewolf to attack him, but there was nothing but static in his ear, the absence of noise.

With a few huffed breaths, like he was psyching himself up, Stiles pulled the door open and shined the light in the basement. Nothing, not even a whimper. Rolling his eyes, he counted inwardly to three before making the descent into the cellar.

“Please, don’t eat me,” Stiles mumbled under his breath. You would think he’d be used to this, that whole putting his life in danger to help his fanged, deadly, clawed, did he mention  _ deadly _ , friends in the midst of a panic attack thing, but no, it scared the hell out of him every time. “Hey, Scott, it’s Stiles, you know, your bestest friend in the whole wide world. The one who dragged you out and helped you get your superpowers, the one who would never do anything to hurt you, or make you bite him? You know, that Stiles.” He paused at the bottom of the steps, glanced around with the flashlight and sighed, “Where are you, buddy, I just came to help?”

There was a low moan from the corner, in the very back of the cellar, a spot where no one ever ventured even in their adult years because Melissa had convinced them as children that it was haunted by an old man with a toupee. She was wrong, of course, Scott was convinced it was a woman in white, while Stiles got the impression it was just because that was where Melissa hid the hard liquor, not that any of them drank it after Scott’s bite. The only one it would have had an effect on was Stiles and he wasn’t one to drink, let alone drink by himself.

“Scott?” He crouched down to get under the low ceiling beams and sighed when his flashlight fell on the red eyes of the man in the corner. Scott blinked painfully at the light, and he slowly raised a clawed hand.

“Stiles?” He answered, tired but relieved. “Where the hell am I?”

“Sitting in ghost territory, buddy, gotta say, not the best place to play hide and seek.” Stiles glanced around, flicking his flashlight at the spaces beside and behind them, expecting a woman to step out of the darkness at any moment. “Have I ever told you how much I hate your basement?”

“Every time you did your laundry at my house,” Scott sighed, letting his lids droop closed. “Stiles, I can feel her.”

“No, what you feel is the come down of an attack, they always wipe you out. Besides, I just saw her and she’s fine.” This got Scott to perk up a bit, rubbing the back of his hand on his forehead before he shifted to sit up, the wolf fading back to the man. “You two are going to drive me fucking crazy, you know that, right? She’s safe with Theo and Liam,” which got a low, throaty growl from Scott. “Stop that, you’re not a caveman, she’s a grown woman, besides, there’s no way those two have anything to offer, they’re too busy stumbling over each other.”

“They’re not together,” Scott huffed.

“Not physically anyway,” Stiles was sticking to that story if it was the last thing he did. “We’re not discussing the dynamics of Thiam, okay, just don’t need to get into it.” Scott smirked at the way Stiles always skimmed over the subject of the two, not that he had anything against it if they were together, but he loved to tease them, before he gave up. “Like I said, whatever they got going on with Lana, it’s not that way. More like puppy love, and I do mean puppies.”

“Stiles, you can’t call them that forever, their grown men,” Scott scoffed but he suddenly caught onto what he was doing, “you’re distracting me, aren’t you?”

“Is it working?”

Scott grinned and shook his head, “always. Thanks.”

“What are best friends for, besides, I need you as calm as you can be when I drop this ball on you,” Stiles finally focused the beam between them, lighting up only the area they were in. “We have to go to Derek’s.”

“What? No! I just came from there; I don’t want to go back. The shit he said, mates, Lana’s symbiote…”

“Yeah, I know, but we need to get this straightened out. Something’s coming and we’re going to need everyone,” Stiles sighed. “They found a body.”

“Not to sound insensitive, but this is Beacon Hills.” Scott growled, slowly making his way to stand, even if it was a little wobbly.

“Right, which hasn’t had one of these in at least six years, so think about it, our little Miss Wolf shows up and now there’s a body,” Stiles got to his feet and the two made their way slowly towards the stairs, “coincidence, I think not.”

Scott turned as they hit the kitchen, staring at Stiles with confusion. “You’re not going to blame her, are you?”

“Not unless she carries a very sharp blade.” Stiles patted him on the shoulder and left him standing there as he headed for the stairs. “Come on, let’s get you changed, you smell like a cellar, and that is going to throw off the rest of the pack.” He paused at the bottom stair, “you know what, maybe it will drown out your scent and the two of you won’t tear each other apart. Changed my mind, just keep it.”

“It’s not going to help,” Scott moved past him and up the stairs, only to turn at the top, “she could be completely covered in mud and I’d still smell her, Stiles. The fact that you’re bringing me right to her tells me you’ve lost your damn mind.”

“And that smile on your face, the one that I haven’t seen since Allison Argent, tells me that you can’t wait to get her backed up against a door, so stop being an ass, get dressed and let’s go.” He scowled and turned towards the kitchen again. Might as well clean some of this up before Melissa has a fit and Scott gets his nearly-thirty ass grounded.

*****

Derek turned the corner to the bathroom hallway. There wasn’t a single other room down that corridor except the bathroom, but he had a reason to be there. Scowling, he stopped dead when Liam moved away from the wall, blocking his way towards the door. Derek rolled his eyes as the younger wolf’s flashed gold.

“I’m pretty sure you don’t want her to come out in just your shirt, right?” Derek questioned, raising a brow, but Liam didn’t back down, at least until Theo rested a hand on his shoulder. Gold eyes dulled to blue and Liam took a step back.

“Here, I’ll take those,” Theo held out his hands, waiting for Derek to rest the pile in them, before he turned and made his way down the hall.

“Why you?” Derek’s voice addressed Theo, making him stop mid-step, “why you of all people?”

“I don’t know,” he cast his eyes down to the steam that escaped from under the door and sighed as he looked back, “maybe it’s my past, maybe… Maybe there’s some weird connection there, but I’m not going to hurt her, and I know that’s what you’re really worried about.”

“I’m not the one you should be looking out for,” Derek glanced at Liam, who was ping-ponging between them. “Listen, I know she’s special, but none of us know what’s going to happen when Scott gets close to her. You saw it yourself; she wasn’t in control in the woods.”

“What I saw was a wolf protecting him, not savagely ripping you apart,” Theo sighed, “I don’t know how to explain it, Derek, but I do know she’s not going to hurt me or Liam.”

“It’s not her that I’m worried about,” and with that Derek turned and walked away, moving back towards the main hall of the loft. There, lounging around the room was the rest of the pack.

*****

Theo knocked on the door before slowly entering the room. Her scent permeated the air, the warmth from the shower amped it up and he drew in a deep breath through his mouth. He closed his eyes lightly, not really sealing out the light of the room for only a moment before he placed the clothing down on the counter and moved to stand by the tiled stall. The only things in there were a standing shower, a toilet and a sink, and the white curtain barely hid the body behind it.

“You don’t have to stay in there and watch over me, Theo,” Lana whispered, as she leaned against the wall, hands out bracing herself as she dipped her head below the stream. “I’m not going to go anywhere and I’m pretty positive no one’s getting past Liam.”

“I’m not watching over you, I’m worried,” he could be an asshole, but she brought out another side of him, the only other one that had ever done that was the man in the hall. “There’s something wrong with this whole thing. Us all being here, Scott hiding, it doesn’t seem right.”

“You trust Stiles, right?” It wasn’t that he  _ didn’t  _ trust him, things were definitely different then when they first met, but Stiles had always put Scott above the rest of the pack.

“He’s not my concern, Lana, you are.” Theo sighed, crossed his arms, and relaxed, the feeling of her so close was somehow reassuring.

“What about us?” She shifted beneath the water, turning so that her back was to it and folded her arms around her, one hand on the opposite shoulder. “It was so fast. You. Liam. What does it mean?”

“Must mean we’re all kinda crazy,” but he knew that wasn’t it. “Why are you here?”

She chuckled before sighing, “didn’t we go over that?”

“Not really.”

There was a moment where the only thing he could hear was her heartbeat, steady and strong before it suddenly skipped. “There hasn’t been a moment since I came back that I haven’t stopped running, Theo,” she took a shaky breath, and he could sense the emotions building in her, “I’m just so tired.”

He couldn’t deal, not with the signals that were bouncing around the room and as he stepped away from the wall, he grabbed the bottom hem of his shirt and yanked it over his head. They had done this dance before, not all that long ago they had been running wild, so it didn’t faze her when he stepped around the curtain completely bared.

The salty smell in the air had his eyes a bright gold, but she slowly unwrapped her arms and reached for him. Theo closed his tight as he slipped under the warmth of the water, arms around her, flesh against flesh. Hers came up to wrap around his neck as he pressed his palm along her spine.

It was weird not to be turned on, not to want her in more ways than to keep her safe, but that was it, that’s all he needed, and Liam (that little bastard) was right, it had been so long since he found someone he just wanted to keep.

He leaned his head down, placed his lips against her shoulder, nose to her neck and breathed her in, the scent of  _ home, pack _ …  _ safe _ , was everything, and he let it encase him so completely that he found himself matching his breathing to hers.

*****

Corey and Mason looked up, in sync as usual and turned on the couch, watching the way Derek entered the room, eyes fixed on him. Malia didn’t turn from the table, but he could tell the moment she knew he entered the space, the way her muscles tightened, and she stood straight was the only indication that she gave but it was enough.

The door opened and Peter walked in, leaving it wide as Derek looked on in confusion. His uncle made a beeline for the bourbon before stopping and glancing at the doorway, not saying a word.

“You know, you’re a total dick!” Isaac Lahey announced as he walked through the door, carrying a backpack. The young beta dropped the bag, grabbed the handle and yanked the door shut. Derek smiled at the new arrival and made his way over, Isaac grinned as he wrapped his arms around the dark-haired man, having put aside their differences long ago. “Your uncle needs his ass kicked.”

“Standing right here,” Peter monotoned before downing the two-fingers of potent alcohol mixed with wolfsbane.

“You should be lying flat on the ground for nearly running me over, you ass!” Isaac scowled as Derek shook his head, leading him to the empty couch. Deciding that Peter wasn’t worth the fight, Isaac sat down, his body turned towards Derek with curiosity. “So, why the urgent call home? What’s going on?”

“We may have some trouble brewing,” Derek started but noticed the moment that Lana stepped into the room. He turned his head, slowly standing, as everyone’s eyes focused on the woman who stood between Liam and Theo, eyes glowing a powerful purple. “This is Lana, she’s a symbiote, and she’s in trouble.”

Peter let out a long, exasperated sigh and shook his head, “I thought we were long past protecting strays.”

“The door’s right there,” Malia shrugged, “you’re not part of the pack, there’s no need for you to be here.”

“You’re here, daughter of mine, that gives me reason,” Peter smirked, “besides, I’m always curious about what world-ending event is upon us when the great  _ evolved _ wolf calls everyone home.”

“I didn’t call anyone,” Derek smirked, crossing his arms as he glanced around the room.

“I did,” Stiles’ voice spoke up from the doorway. He stood just down from the top step, looking over the gathered pack. Behind him, Scott’s eyes were locked on Lana, blazing a bright red as he stared, awestruck, fists clenched trying to remain in control. “And this is what I called you for.”

Lana stepped forward, automatically flanked by Theo and Liam, but she reached back and touched Theo gently on the arm, whispering, “it’s okay.” The chimera growled, which wasn’t odd for him, however it usually centered around Liam, not anyone else, but then again, Liam echoed that protective noise as Lana smirked, turned to the younger of the two and cupped his face with both hands. “Liam,” his bright golden eyes went right to hers, “it’s alright.”

The beta nodded, blinked back the anger and reached for Theo’s shirt, grasping the fabric tightly in his hand before Lana let him go, spinning once again to stare at the alpha, who hadn’t moved from the door.

“Stay back,” Derek warned the rest of the pack, watching them still in place, before he turned his sights on the human. “Stiles, I told you she's…”

“Doesn’t look fragile to me,” Stiles scowled.

“If he tears anyone up,” he growled, “it's on you.”

“You're overreacting, now… be quiet!”

Scott didn’t hear a moment of their bickering, he was too wound up to move watching as she came closer, hitting the first step before he had a chance to compose himself.

He drew in a deep breath, the very wrong thing to do, and felt his body shiver as Stiles stepped down and away. A deep growl filled the room, low and throaty, and his eyes darted around looking for the source, unaware that it was coming from him.

She topped the stairs, dressed in one of Liam’s recognizable button-downs and a too large pair of sweats. The scents on them filled his nose,  _ Liam, Derek… Theo _ . That last one was on her skin, his scent, light but still there and the rumble came again, this time he knew it was from him.

The edges of his vision tinted red as he fought for control. “Please,” he begged as he held out a hand, claws fully extended, and he stepped back towards the door, “don’t,” he braced against the steel, digging in with his other hand, “don’t come any closer.”

“Scott,” her voice was soft, and it filled him with heat, and that need he couldn’t get a leash on. Clenching his teeth together, he pulled back his lips, exposing his fangs, “you’re not going to hurt me.”

“You don’t know that,” it was barely a whisper, something that slipped out, full of violence and lust, and she laughed. Just barely a giggle, but it sent his heart racing.

“I do,” the sound of metal peeling made Derek groan, but it didn’t stop Lana from moving again. “Do you feel that?”

“I feel...” Scott tried to swallow, tried to do anything except panic, something he was on the verge of, “a lot,” he finally got out, “so much.”

Lana glanced back at Theo, who looked on fascinated by the events unfolding before him, as he tilted his head just a bit, crossed his arms, and gave her a flirty smirk. Scott’s threatening growl brought her eyes back to the alpha in front of him.

“Do you think he’s going to hurt me?” She looked over Scott, from his eyes down over his chest, taking in the broad expanse of him as he did his best to control his breathing.

“Lana,” Theo warned, a quiet whisper that only she seemed to hear, “don’t poke the bear.”

She smirked as she took in his words but focused on Scott. “He’s not going to, you know,” she continued, reaching out again. Scott dropped his hand back to the door, anchoring himself to it with both sets of claws, eyes locked on the way her tongue moistened her lips. “He protected me, just like Liam.” She paused, her fingertips touched the light fabric of his shirt, feeling the heat beneath it, and Scott snarled, but pressed closer into that touch, looking for that intimacy. “Your wolves,” she spoke lightly, but he could smell the fear on her, hear the racing of her heart. She was just as scared as he was, “your betas, Scott, your pack… they protected me.”

“Lana,” he clenched his teeth as her fingers spread out on his chest, taking in the beat of his heart, and he fought the need that rose in him, “please, you have to stop.”

“Lana,” Stiles warned, taking a step closer, but that instantly had the alpha’s eyes on him, and Scott lurched forward, mouth wide, fangs exposed. “Jesus, maybe this was a bad idea.”

“It was your idea,” Peter reminded him.

“And how many of my ideas over the last decade have been good ideas? Huh?” Stiles bit back, “you would think you guys would have learned by now.”

“He’s not going to hurt her,” Liam rolled his eyes, not taking part in the fight, “shut up and wait.”

“Scott,” her voice swept over him like a warm breeze, like the sun, and his eyes drooped as he came back to look at her. It was hard to breathe when he stared into her power, heart speeding up to try and make up for the lack of oxygen. “It’s just a panic attack.”

“It’s not,” he growled through his teeth, taking in her scent like he was taking her in. She was so close he could almost taste her, he wanted to taste, wanted to sink his teeth into her flesh, make her his. “ _ You _ have to get away.”

“No,” her other hand came up, shaking as it did, and she placed it gently against his cheek. Scott needed to move away, needed her to stop touching him but he leaned into it instead. “Do you always have this much trouble controlling it?”

“No,” he swallowed, following the sound of her heartbeat, the way it ticked in time with his, “only now, only when I see,” he concentrated on her face, on that rhythmic sound, and he could feel his slowing, and the last word was just a breath, just a sigh, “you.”

He tried to duck his head, tried to break away but it was no use, she moved in and she was all Scott could hear, see, and smell, like the world outside didn't exist, not until she spoke one little word.

“Hi,” she whispered, allowing a small grin to spread on her lips as the red began to fade from his eyes, “I’m Lana, you must be....”

“Scott,” he sighed as he took in a deep breath, his fingers releasing the door, but he slumped forward, eyes drooping from the exertion but still locked on hers, but here was a smirk on his lips, “hi.”

“Christ,” Stiles nearly sank to the floor, only being held up by the table, “see,” he turned towards everyone in the room, “it worked just fine.”

Lana stepped back, moving her hand from his chest as Scott stood straight before slumping back against the door. Theo moved to stand at the bottom of the stairs, holding out a hand for her, eyes locked on the alpha. She gave him a quick smile, then moved down to Theo.

Scott watched, surprised at the lack of anger, as the chimera hustled her to the couch, making Corey slide closer to Mason. Lana sat, leaning her head back so that she could look up at Theo, see his lips as he talked softly to her, only to nod as a reply. Liam had moved to the rug just beside her leg, sitting comfortably on the floor as he picked at the rip in his jeans, like the position wasn’t anything new.

Derek moved up to stand beside him, glancing behind his back as Scott finally found the strength to stand straight. Blue eyes pinned him as Scott gave a small grin. “What?”

“You owe me for a patch job on that door, McCall,” Derek stated, which was meant to be mean, direct, but it had no bite to it.

He patted Scott on the shoulder, turned and walked away, stealing the decanter of bourbon from Peter on his way by. Malia stood straight as Scott made his way down to the table where Isaac had joined her. The three of them watched quietly as four of the younger members of the pack seemed to crowd Lana in, forming a barrier between her and the rest, and they seemed oblivious to even doing it, all except Theo, whose eyes were locked on his.

“Is he challenging you?” Malia questioned.

Scott took in the young man’s stance, the way his eyes stared, the position of his body to Lana and gave a little shake of his head before putting his back to him, just as Stiles stepped up, putting one of them at each side of the table.

“No, he’s doing what she said, he’s protecting her, keeping himself in a position to see any oncoming threats, watching her back,” Scott replied.

“So, you’re okay with that?” Isaac seemed a little unsure about the whole thing.

“Liam’s his anchor, and pretty much a ticking time bomb, so if he’s sitting peacefully at her feet, you have to imagine that Theo’s just as calm.” Scott shrugged. “She said they protected her, I believe it, and not from us, otherwise she wouldn’t have gotten that close to me without Liam going off.”

“We’ve got something bigger to talk about than whether our little IED is going to have a short fuse,” Stiles spoke up, glancing behind Scott to see if Liam had picked up on that, but he had his head back on the cushion, eyes closed, and looked pretty relaxed as Lana ran her hands through his hair. “We found something in the woods.”

“Trees?” Isaac asked sarcastically as Derek stepped up to the table, standing beside him with his arms crossed.

“A body,” he sighed, and saw the minute movement of Theo, who stood just a little straighter, “or more to the point, a half of a body.”

“Oh no,” Scott sighed, rubbing his hand through his hair.

“Oh, yes, and it gets better,” Stiles pulled an evidence bag from his pocket, tossing it on the table between the five of them. There, secure in the sealed plastic, void of blood, was a medallion, one they had all seen before years ago with a prancing wolf, the moon, wolfsbane, and claws. Scott felt his heart race as he reached out to touch it, but Stiles drew it back, gesturing over his shoulder at Lana, who looked confused, lost in thought, and reaching for a necklace that wasn’t there. “We need to talk about our new friend.”

***** 

Saturday Sunrise

Lana leaned forward, her eyes narrowed curiously at Isaac, who bristled from the attention, but huffed and sat back before his gaze landed on her again. Liam hadn’t moved from his spot beside her leg, still absently pulling on the loose strand as her fingers carded through his hair. Corey and Mason were caught in yet another quiet discussion of something that, to anyone else, made no sense, and Malia stood by the window looking out at the city.

Theo paced behind the couch, his arms crossed over his chest, one finger against his lips, lost in his own head but it was Stiles, Scott, and Derek that made up most of the low murmurs in the building. They weren’t in the main room anymore, but up on the loft where Derek kept more of his library. Scott stood by the iron railing, looking over the side at Lana, who’s smirks at Isaac was making it hard to concentrate.

“You wanna call in Argent?” Derek shook his head as he held up the bag with the necklace in it, “and you think this belongs to her?”

“I don’t know what to think, actually.” Stiles sighed, keeping half his attention on the alpha and half on the discussion with Derek. “The fact that there’s a body just like Laura and a hunter’s family crest right beside it, doesn’t make me feel like rainbows and daffodils that’s for sure.”

“You’re saying she did this?” Derek let his head fall back, shaking it as he looked up at the sky.

“I’m not accusing her of anything, Derek, I know when she got to town, I was there.” And admitting that got Scott’s full attention. His angry frown was something that Stiles rolled his eyes at. “Okay, time to come clean, right?”

“Ya think?” Scott nearly barked, but he caught the shift in Lana’s scent and glanced back, her blue eyes locking on his, like she caught the change in his mood. “She should be telling us what happened too.”

“Fine,” Stiles moved towards the railing and waved a finger at her in a  _ come hither _ motion. She slowly stood, which immediately had the young beta at her feet standing. They watched as she reached out to him, smoothing her hands down from his cheeks, over his shoulders to hold his hand, calming him before she glanced at Theo, a silent communication to wait. “Okay, she’s definitely Queen Alpha material. Ever seen him do that?”

“I’ve never seen either of them do that,” Scott sighed, putting his back to the rail as Lana topped the stairs, her eyes on him the whole time. Derek stepped back, giving her room as he glanced at Scott, the haze around his eyes glowing red. Scott bit down on his lip, trying to control it as Stiles moved away and Lana stepped closer. “Sorry.”

“It’ll take time,” she whispered, moving up to stand beside him, like exposure therapy was the best thing right now, but he could still smell the change in her scent, the low level of fear, and he reached out for her, finding just the tip of her fingers.

The first touch of skin to skin sent a pulse through Scott, like an electric shock that became a light tingle. From looking into her eyes, he could tell she felt the same thing, breathing heavy through slightly parted lips, as her irises flashed a light purple.

“Okay, so if you’re done making heart eyes at each other,” Stiles’ annoyed voice piped up, catching their attention, “maybe Lana and I can tell our side of the story.” She took her eyes off Scott and locked onto his amber ones. “You first or me, angel?”

Scott’s low rumble only brought a smirk to Lana’s lips and she drew in a deep breath and slowly locked her fingers between Scott’s, holding tightly to his hand. “Um,” she sighed out, and rubbed her forehead with her free hand, “about two weeks ago, I got a call from Marin Morrell,” and the name had Derek and Scott quickly looking at each other before focusing on Stiles, “she was an emissary contact between my… pack and the west coast, but what she told me wasn’t exactly the greatest news.

“I’d been on the run for a while, but about six years ago a group of hunters found their way into our territory, killed most of the younger ones, and kidnapped a few. They got them back, however what they found out was that this group was looking for someone, a person who carried two wolves within them.”

“You?” Scott’s voice was barely above a whisper, but his fingers clenched against hers, “why?”

“The power of the spirit, she makes me something more than just a beta, more than a regular werewolf, because she’s pure,” Lana focused on a spot on the floor, her mind going back into her memories. “When I died, I don’t remember what happened, I just know I was safe and that  _ she _ fixed me. We live on old land, powerful land that holds so much of the past. When she did what she did, it made her part of what I am, my make up, and the problem with that, with the symbiote relationship is that now she can’t ever go home.”

“Okay, so what did the hunters want with you?” Derek seemed a little confused. “If they knew she couldn’t be separated from you, then could they possibly want?”

“She’s energy, a spirit,” Lana shrugged, “she’s also poison.” And this got all three boys to look right at her. “The only one who’s ever survived biting me,” she clenched her fists, as her heart started to race, and Scott instinctively pulled her closer even as Theo let out a low grumble from below, “was an alpha.”

“Biting you?” Derek clenched his teeth. It was like the whole pack was suddenly on alert, in protective mode, as if they could feel her fear and needed to be a shield. “What kind of animal bites a born wolf? I don’t understand?”

Scott released her fingers, slipped his arm around her waist and drew her in, holding her tightly to him as he glanced around, then down at the waiting betas, giving a slight nod. For most it was an all-clear, a stand down, but Theo paced at the bottom of the stairway, claws so tightly fisted that he was dripping blood. One look from Scott, and Liam who had only been a step away, was now touching him, moving, anchoring the chimera.

“Why would wolves bite you?” Scott questioned, his lips against her head, taking in her scent, releasing anything he could to calm her.

“How do you take an alpha’s power?” was all she managed to get out. “They wanted her, they… wanted to take her, but the betas, they just started bleeding inside, like they had been poisoned by wolfsbane. A whole pack died,” she rolled up her sleeve as she shifted in his arms, showing him the faint white outlines of teeth, and she felt the vibration of his anger under her touch. “The alpha was the only one to survive, but it caused its own damage. He lost his hearing before the poison ran its course.”

“How’d you get away?” Derek’s tone was soft, tender, something Stiles had never heard before, but Lana’s eyes fell on him, the only thing Stiles could do was smirk, and give her a nod.

“Stiles,” she shrugged.

Scott’s pointed gaze shifted in his friend's direction, “I thought you didn’t know what she was,” He was more than confused, he was almost violently angry.

“I didn’t,” he shrugged, “I didn’t even know who she was.” Stiles crossed his arms as he leaned back against the table, completely unarmed and vulnerable. “I was on my way back from Tennessee…”

“The Rougarou thing?” Scott piped up.

“Yeah, we couldn’t have that here, so I was bringing it to a safe house, like Eichen, just outside of Nashville. The transport didn’t take that long, and once it was locked down, I headed home. I stopped in Kansas, just some no-stoplight town to fill up, but I saw one of the betas, got the location from him before he died and went out to the pack lands.” Stiles swallowed, lowered his eyes from Lana and stared blankly at the floor. “She was,” he drew in a breath, “she was so raw with bites that I didn’t know what to do, so I wrapped her in a blanket, and I brought her to the only place I could think of. Marin.”

“But she never told you what happened? What she was?” Scott’s questions caught his attention, making him straighten.

“I figured she would turn, didn’t know she was one to start with, and I only found out she was a symbiote when you called to tell me.” The emotions that flowed from him was something that Scott couldn’t ignore but he wouldn’t let Lana go, he was torn between them. “Look, it doesn’t matter if I knew or not, two weeks ago Marin called to ask me a favor, to find someplace safe for her in Beacon Hills and I did. I put her with April’s family because I knew they were a pack even without an alpha, but they were still one allowed on our land. It would be the safest place for her. So, when she came into town, I met her,” Stiles shrugged, “I met her and I helped her get settled, checked in with April at the bar every day, and checked on her most nights. I’m human, Scott, and I can’t smell pheromones, or tell when someone’s different, okay, I just knew she was a wolf and needed protection.”

“Okay,” Scott nodded, brows raised. God, he had never seen Stiles so upset over something he wasn’t even there to prevent, but it was also weird to see him pissed off over a secret. “Stiles, you did what you had to, you kept her safe.”

“No,” he looked up, staring at the alpha with glassy amber eyes, “no, I didn’t because there’s a body in the woods with a mutilated face, and an Argent medallion in my hands.”

“A what?” Lana whispered. Stiles debated with himself before he pulled it from his pocket and held it out to her. Scott let her go, hand still in contact with her back as she reached out, stepping towards him and took the bag. She took a breath, flipped it over once or twice before she swallowed and met his gaze. “I know this.” He raised his hand to reach for her but paused inches from her arm. “This is my brother’s.”

Scott, Stiles, and Derek all shared the same look.  _ Oh, shit. _

*****

The sun was rising, the moon fading beyond the horizon and the pack was slowly drifting off. Everything from couch cushions to air mattresses and even Derek’s own bed had been dragged to the middle of the common room, blankets and pillows were scattered around but in the middle of it, just enough to see the way the sky began to brighten through the tinted shades, Lana lay wide awake.

She was more aware of the people that surrounded her than any emotion she might be feeling. Liam lay with his back pressed up against her right side and she let her hand rest against his shoulder, spinning the medallion between her fingers. Mason lay on his stomach by Liam’s side and Corey had found a comfortable spot on his boyfriend’s arm. Derek was somewhere curled up in the mess, probably as close to Isaac as he could get, since the bond between an alpha and its beta never faded, even when that alpha evolved, and Stiles was on the other edge, just to the left of Corey’s head snoring lightly.

It was Theo that grounded her at the moment, his head resting lightly on her stomach as he tucked around her the best he could and while she didn’t understand their bond at all, she wouldn’t trade it in for anything. She ran her fingers lightly through his hair as his fingers ticked against her stomach, like a nightmare counting down the moments before it happened.

She was feeling all of it, from each of them but the biggest distraction from sleep was the scent of the alpha in the room. She heard, more than felt the way he moved up on the mattresses above her head until he laid down, the top of his head against her shoulder, just like she was now and the both stared up through the windows.

“Our meeting could have gone a little better than it did,” Scott whispered, not moving closer, but not shifting away.

“It went how it was supposed to,” Lana smiled, glancing his way as a grin turned up his lips. “I’m pretty sure any protocol for meeting your mate went out the door when the mythology of it disappeared.” He chuckled softly before turning his head just a bit, looking at her profile. “Wasn’t something either of us had predicted for our future.”

“But you’re here now, Lana, and true mate or not, I’m going to protect you,” his words were sincere, and she heard it in the tone of his voice that he would do anything for her, but she didn’t want to believe it. With a sigh, she turned just enough to catch his eyes.

“You don’t know me, Scott, you don’t know the things I’ve done,” her voice dropped as the pain filled her. “My eyes aren’t purple just because of her power, I’m not an innocent.”

“You’ve done what you needed to in order to survive,” he reached out, brought his hand up behind her head and gently stroked his fingers through her hair, “anyone can see that you’re not a killer, Lana.”

“I’m not an omega for nothing, I’ve chosen to keep to myself, to be packless, to move,” she closed her eyes against his gentle touch, “I can’t just say yes and stay in one place. It’s too dangerous for you,” she glanced down at the bodies that protected her and even in their sleep were drawn to her, “for them.”

“I don’t think you know Liam and Theo very well yet,” he laughed, “they kinda stick once they’ve decided that something belongs to them, someone. It’s how they found their own bond. Theo wasn’t the best person, but Liam,” he paused, unsure of how much she knew, and how much to tell, “Liam needed him, and Theo wouldn’t give up, let’s just leave it at that.”

“They told me,” she nodded, turning back to the now pink sky, “they told me everything they had done. Especially Theo, he was broken, a lot more than me, but he found his way here and whether you decide to believe it or not, all of you helped put those broken pieces together as much as you could.”

“Yeah, we might have adopted him,” he couldn’t take his eyes off her, studying the shape of her nose, the way the filtered light hit her eyes. “You said it belonged to your brother, tell me about him.”

Lana drew in a deep breath, making Theo shift up enough to hear her heart, but he didn’t wake even as his fingers stopped their relentless ticking, and she braced a hand against his shoulder, holding him there.

“Jonathan was like him, I guess,” she leaned up, pressed her nose as much as she could against his hair, taking in the scent of the shampoo they had shared before she rested her head on the mat and looked at Scott, “wild and full of himself, but he was different in a way. Where Theo is nothing but tender, protective, Jonathan could be cruel and hurtful. The night that I died, we had been arguing. The northern lights were only visible at certain times in the mountains, and I needed to see them. It was like they were calling me; the pull had been so strong that I had convinced my mother that I just had to be there. So, she made him take me.

“He was so angry, so beyond infuriated that he became reckless. We made it up the mountain without issue, but once there, away from the rest of the pack, he became cruel, like he tended to be in private. It started out as little jabs, first with his fingers, then his claws,” Lana swallowed back the pain as a tear ran down her cheek, her eyes once again focused on the sky. “He always tried to make it look as though it had been an accident, but that night, he didn’t care. The marks were deep, and they bled, they hurt.” She cleared her throat, hand going to Theo’s hair, carding through it softly as a distraction. “I didn’t find out until later when I read over the medical reports that I had aconite poisoning. He had laced his fingers with it, coated his claws somehow, but they thought maybe I had been tossed into a patch of wolfsbane.”

Scott turned his body towards her, curled up until he couldn’t get any closer, protecting her as his fingers sought out any skin he could find, reminding her that she was with him and not in those hurtful memories.

“Hey,” he whispered, moving up to kiss her temple, pressing his lips to her head, “I’m here, we’re all here, Lana, you’re safe. You don’t have to say anymore, okay.”

“No,” she sighed, “you should know, Scott, you need to know everything.” She pressed into his touch, let the warm sensation of his lips provide the comfort that he so wanted to give, but it didn't stop her racing heart. With a deep breath, she began again. “The lights faded, much like his patience, and the next thing I knew, we were on our way down the mountain. I was dizzy, sick to my stomach, and I didn’t know why. I thought maybe I was coming down with the flu, maybe there was something going around the school, but he kept yelling, ‘ _ don’t tell Mom, you can’t tell Mom anything _ ,’ and I agreed with him because I had no clue what he had done.

“When the truck flipped, I didn’t even notice it, I had been so dizzy that it just felt like I was falling harder. The world spun faster, and it wasn’t until we hit that first tree that I knew something was wrong.” Lana held the necklace up so she could see it shine in the sunrise. “I wasn’t buckled, and every time I struck the glass, or the roof, it was painful, until the last time…”

“Lana,” Scott’s warm breath against her skin didn’t stop the shivers that flowed through her no matter how much she craved his warmth. “Stop, it’s okay, you’re here with us.”

“It’s alright, I don’t remember anything after that,” she let the fake smile play on her lips as she closed her eyes and turned against the heat of his lips to her forehead. “Not until I woke up with Jonathan by the bed. He hadn’t left my side, they said, he was such a good brother. But he wasn’t there for comfort. He was there to make sure that I didn’t tell mom.”

“What the hell are you doing to her?” Theo’s low growl broke the scent of fear and pain in the room and both looked up to see the glowing golden eyes of the beta above them, rage directed at Scott.

Lana sat up quickly, releasing Liam and the necklace as she wrapped her arms around Theo’s neck, shushing him with quiet words. Scott pushed up onto his elbows to watch as his lids drifted shut, while she pressed his nose against her neck. His arms circled her, all of his muscles seemed to relax and slowly she brought them back down, the beta tucked up against her side nearly covering her with his body.

“I told you,” Scott grinned as he slowly lay back, getting as close to her as he dared with the unstable chimera so riled up, “you belong to them, to him, he’s not going to let you go.”

“And he’s very warm,” Lana huffed as they listened to him slowly fall into an uneasy sleep. “I’m not used to being this warm.” Her eyes caught his again and the alpha’s smile was real this time, brows going up. “It’s going to take me a while to get used to this.”

“I know,” he traced her forehead with the back of his fingers, watching as her eyes closed, “we’re all going to need time to figure this out.” Lana nodded, fought against the pull of sleep, but he knew the moment she gave in as the worry on her face lessened. He took a breath, leaned up and kissed her gently along the path his fingers had taken. “Goodnight, Lana.”

*****

Down on the street below, a strange black truck pulled up along the curb. Inside, a man with dark eyes stared up towards the penthouse loft. He tapped on the door, claws keeping time with the watch on his left hand as he reached out with his right to hit the screen on his dash. Over the speakers, a call rang through, and only after two rings clicked to form a connection.

“Hello?” an older woman’s voice snapped on the line. That one word alone, the tone of it, demanded attention, respect, and above all else, fear.

“I found her,” the man replied, not taking his eyes off the large windows even as the sun’s bright light reflected down, blinding him. “She found McCall.”

“Wonderful, just what we were hoping to avoid.” She seemed put out, like this was the biggest inconvenience of her day. “Follow her, give me the location of every place she stops, and Turret, don’t lose her this time.”

“Yes, ma’am.” With those words, the call ended. He glared at the building, focusing on all the doors that he could find before putting the truck in gear. She wouldn’t get away again. It had taken him two weeks to find her, this time he would do it right. He’d finish this once and for all.

*****

The buzz of a phone was what shook Liam from sleep and slowly he blinked awake growing more irritated by the way  _ someone _ jumped about above his head, like a scared kid afraid of spiders. Craning his neck just enough to see past Lana’s arm, he watched Scott’s head shift closer, and suddenly Stiles popped up from beside him. With a roll of his blue eyes, he shifted against her body, turning over to find her warmth, but found himself face to face with Theo, who was using her chest as a pillow.

Annoyed, he reached out slowly, tongue pressed between his lips, and squeezed Theo’s nose, closing off his air supply. It took a moment, but the beta suddenly sat up, eyes wide like he didn’t know where he was, but it was the half-cocked grin on Liam’s face that made him frown.

“Asshole!” Theo’s voice was deep with sleep, and not nearly as menacing as he was trying to pull off.

“Why are you sleeping  _ on _ her?” Liam questioned, “Scott’s right there.”

“He doesn’t own her,” Theo shrugged, like that was exactly the reason he was doing it, but that sarcasm slipped away, “it was a rough night.”

“Sure, it was,” he mocked, just as Lana rolled towards him, her arm tucked under her head, but it was the fact that now Liam was the one face to face with her breasts that had his eyes wide.

Theo popped over the top of her, grinning down at the wide-eyed beta. “Here’s your chance,” and he waggled his eyebrows encouragingly.

“Screw you,” Liam huffed, about to turn away, but the hand in his hair suddenly yanked his head back a bit, not enough to hurt even as the whine escaped him and he looked up into Lana’s blue eyes. “Morning.”

“Really?” she groaned, then shifted to look at Theo, “lay the hell back down and go to sleep.” Theo gave her a wink, curled up behind her and threw his arm over her waist, but it was the tug at his hair that brought his eyes back to hers. “You’re not going to offend anyone by staring at my boobs, Liam.”

“I just…” he stuttered and shrugged, “they’re just,” he held his hands up as if to say  _ there _ , but it only made her smile.

“Go to sleep,” her voice was soft, like she was cooing at a baby, so Liam gave up, laid back down and put his forehead against her chest, well more under it until he could feel his breath bounce back at him. Her leg moved, one slipping over his hip as he settled in.

A brief moment later, he heard a quick snort and the words, “I might get offended,” as Scott murmured his opinion.

“How are you three even awake?” Lana groaned, which turned into a low growl, her free hand coming down to Liam’s back before moving up to tangle in the hair at the base of his neck. Theo scoffed behind her as if to ask why she was even asking.

“Sorry, guys,” Stiles sighed, finally getting up from the bed, or whatever they thought of calling this giant sleepover, yanking his phone off the coffee table as he headed for Derek’s kitchen.

“Can I bite him?” Derek’s deep but muffled voice came from somewhere on the mats.

“That would be a no! I can only take Stiles in small doses as a human, whatever would make you think that biting him would be a good idea?” Isaac grouched and it felt like the whole structure moved when he bounced his body into another position.

“Jesus, Isaac, do you have to get so close?”

“But, you’re warm and someone stole all the blankets,” his beta whined.

“Sleep!” Lana pleaded, which got a light giggle from Corey. “Shut up, Invisa-man.”

“What?” he giggled again, “I didn’t say anything.”

Liam wanted to fall back to sleep, let the feeling of Lana being so close take over, the feel of Theo’s fingers joining hers take him down into that void, but it was as he lay there, concentrating on just the sound of her heart that he heard the one on the other side of the door. He sat up quickly, eye flashing gold, teeth bared, and a hand placed protectively on her hip.

“Liam?” Scott said his name with care and concern, but the moment it came out, he knew his alpha was listening too, because Scott shifted to cover his back. Theo had moved the moment Liam was no longer under his fingers, sitting up watching the door with not so much flare, but it was Derek walking by in just his jeans that caught the eyes of all four of them, Lana included as she slowly rose up to her elbows between the trio of protectors.

“Relax,” Derek threw back at them, giving them a knowing smirk. “It’s just Lydia.”

All three groaned and flopped back on the bed as Derek opened the door slowly, before stepping aside to let the strawberry-blonde in, Malia at her back. Lana tilted her head as she studied both women, but it was Malia that she had in her sights. She didn’t remember the woman leaving, not even any hint of going home and she must have been sending the confusion out in some pretty tangible signals because Malia set her sights on the symbiote.

“What? Did you really think I was going to say here and puppy pile with these grabby hands?” Her statement was pure, straightforward and spot on with just reading her face. “Sorry, but no, I’ve known most of them a long time, and I’ll pass.”

“So, you left poor, defenseless me with a group of horny guys is what you’re saying?” Lana smiled but that got a scoff from Lydia.

“Please, like they’d know what to do with a real woman anyway,” the banshee spoke up, setting down a large box of coffee and a bag full of what were probably cups as Malia smiled, dropping the two dozen donuts on the table. Lana couldn't stop the smile, she was going to like Lydia, she just knew it. “Come on, boys, off you go. Do whatever it is you do to get yourselves cleaned up in the morning. The girls need to have a little chat.”

Liam waved her off, ducked his head back down to the mat, his body following soon after and he curled up into the warmth of Lana’s side.

“That means you too, little wolf,” Lydia’s voice whispered close to his ear. Liam stiffened, he didn’t even know she was that close, but he sighed, rolled onto his back and looked up at her. “We’ll keep her safe, I promise.”

“It’s not me you have to worry about,” Liam admonished and the two glanced at Theo’s back, the way his shoulders slumped, and Lydia rolled her eyes. Lana smiled, sat up and put her chin on Theo’s shoulder.

“I’ll be fine, go get coffee.” Theo  _ hmphed _ in response but begrudgingly got to his feet, heading down the hall towards the bathroom. Lydia raised an eye to Liam, who glanced between the two women, frowned and finally moved. Scott was the only one left lying on the bed when they finally got everyone to move. Lana leaned over him, watching him smile as he pretended to ignore her. “You too, alpha, move your ass.”

His eyes snapped to hers, the smile faded from his face and his pupils darkened with lust when he caught the way she called him  _ alpha _ . Scott licked his lips, just a slight roll of his bottom one back, catching on his teeth before the red flared in his eyes. Catching on to what had just happened, a slow, seductive smile rose on her lips as she watched the progress of his tongue, that was before Lydia whacked him with a pillow and Malia slapped her lightly on the arm.

“We don’t have time for this,” Malia chastised, and Scott turned his attention to the girls.

“Alright, alright,” but it was light and playful, and without further argument, he slipped off the bed.

Lydia stood, held out her hand and when Lana took it without reluctance, she pulled her to her feet, but Lydia wouldn’t let go. She caught the sight of the scars under her cuff and gently pulled the fabric back. The white scars covered her lower arm and Lana paled as she looked away.

“Battle scars,” Lydia whispered, pressing her hand to them, “why don’t we see them when you work at the bar? You always wear a tee-shirt.”

Lana cleared her throat, shrugged and made her way towards the coffee, where the banshee followed. As she prepared a cup, she tilted her head slightly, taking in the scents of her two protectors that saturated the shirt and she felt her body relax before she glanced up at Lydia.

“I can hide them,” Lana gave a half-hearted smirk. “The wolf gives me some odd powers, like shifting and,” she paused a moment before looking at the doorway to the kitchen. Theo stood there watching, his arms crossed as he leaned on the door sill, just watching. “The scars can be hidden, it’s not a hard trick, but it takes a lot to maintain it during the day. I just don’t have that strength right now.”

“You don’t have to hide anything,” Malia shrugged, “I spent nine years as a coyote, I’ve eaten raw meat covered in dirt, we all have scars.”

Lana smiled, because of course Malia would associate that all as the same thing. “Thanks?” She turned to Lydia as the rest of the pack filed out towards the coffee. “You said we needed to talk.”

“Yeah, come this way.” Lydia led her towards the stairs, making her way up them so that the girls stood overlooking the mess below, but from way up there, Lana could scent all of them. The mixture was potent, full of power, and pack, but her eyes skimmed over the crowd looking for Scott, who was now staring right up at her, eyes a faint red with a serious look on his face.

“Are you listening to me?” She spoke softly, knowing that she didn’t have to do anything else in this crowd and his response was only a slight nod. “Don’t worry, alpha, I’m not going anywhere.”

The low rumble that escaped barely caught the attention of the other men on the floor, but Lana swallowed back the heat that she felt race through her at the sound, and her lips turned up in a smile. Theo walked by, glancing at Scott before he followed his eye line to Lana and gave a minute shake of his head, like he was scolding his younger sister and her crush. This had both of them grinning as Theo rolled his eyes and walked away.

“So, Theo?” Lydia caught her attention, and Lana turned her back to the crowd. She could hear the older sister vibe in her voice.

“Just a friend?” Lana shrugged, confused on that part as well, “nothing more than that.”

“You could have fooled me,” Malia scoffed, “he’s all over you, him and Liam.”

She exhaled slowly, setting the coffee down on the table, “the day Theo and I met, I had run in front of his truck, barely missed his front tires. He swerved off the road to avoid hitting me, struck a pole instead. He came to the house, offered help to my uncle to fix it, but the moment I saw him, there was this wave of energy.”

“Energy?” Lydia whispered, but her eyes were on anything but Lana, “describe it.”

“Heat, um, recognition, like I knew him from somewhere, like we had always known each other.” Lana bit her lip trying to put it into words. “Besides Stiles, I’ve tried to avoid men at all costs, not just men, but wolves. Theo,” she placed her hands on the table, giving her head a little shake. “It was like he wasn’t either of them, does that make sense?”

“No,” Malia adamantly shook her head, but it was Lydia’s “yes” at the same time that had her continuing.

“Both wolf and man, but still safe,” Lana could only shrug because how do you describe a power like that. “He kept coming back and then yesterday, when I touched him, I knew what it was. He was pack, he was home, and safety, and protection.”

“What about Liam?” Lydia smirked.

“Someone said that the two of them are anchors for each other so Liam, by extension, is like Theo, and while it wasn’t immediate, I can feel it.” The three of them looked over at the plate of donuts that quietly slid across the floor at the top of the stairs. Lana grinned, she knew just who it was and made her way over to pick up the plate. “Thank you, Corey.”

She didn’t get a response but could almost feel the shimmer in the air as he trotted back down the stairs. Placing the plate on the table, Lana gestured to dig in, picking the chocolate creme one off the plate. She glanced at the other two as she took a bite, covering Liam’s shirt in powder before she pitched a brow, and smiled.

“Did you bring me all the way up here to talk about the boys? Want to talk about my attraction to Scott? How much do I want him?” And down below she caught the choked cough as the alpha nearly spit his coffee out.

“Dude, watch it,” Stiles griped.

“Sorry,” was the throaty reply.

“Actually, no,” Lydia cringed at the thought, “I had a vision.”

“Okay, I know how banshees work, Harbingers of Death and all that,” Lana shrugged, “did you see mine?”

“Yes,” and then Lydia went quiet, which made Lana all the more curious, “yours and Scott’s.”

“And?”

“It wasn’t how you died; it was who was standing above you when you died.” Lana got it, and she caught on fast.

With a deep breath, she turned, her fingers digging into the iron of the rail as her eyes scanned over the pack, resting on Theo for just a moment before the confused beta turned his uncertain gaze up to her. He gave her a slight shake of his head, eyes filled with pain, lips parted in disbelief.

She twirled back around, eyes glowing a bright purple, not something that would shock the girls, but when her voice vibrated with the wolf, Malia pointedly took a fighting stance.

“Tell me everything.”


	3. Episode Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lana learns a few things from Lydia that doesn't go over as well as everyone hoped, and with Scott's overprotective side kicking in, it's just a matter of time before everything blows up. The problem is, who's going to get hurt in the process.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Ep 3. This is fun. I've written all the way to seven, so things are going to get a bit more chaotic.  
> Ps: Five North makes a return in this one again. The lyrics are to This Mess, so if you haven't listened, go look up Five North.  
> Pss: No beta, except those mentioned in the story, so all the errors are mine. There are so many characters that I can't always get them all in, but I try.  
> Most of all, enjoy. Leave comments, or don't, it's cool.

Episode Three - Saturday about 10 am

Lydia gestured to the chair beside her, “you might want to sit for this.”

“Fine,” was all Lana got out when Stiles topped the stairs, looking a bit nervous as he glanced around the trio. “Good morning, Stiles.”

“Hey,” he gave her a weak smile back but turned his attention to Lydia. “I gotta go to work,” he leaned over, kissing her softly, but he placed his forehead against hers and sighed, “is Allison with your mom? Scott’s freaking out about the fever yesterday, I thought I’d call.”

“She’s three, Stiles,” Lydia grinned, “and if she’s anything like her uncle, she’ll keep him on the phone babbling nonsense for hours.” Lana smirked, so Scott was a talker, good to know. “But, it might do him some good to have a distraction, so he stops listening in. Go ahead and call Mom, I’m sure Allison hasn’t gone down for a nap yet.”

“Kay,” he kissed her again, “remember, I love you.”

“I love you, too,” Lydia’s voice was soft, almost girlish, as she looked up into his eyes, “be safe.”

“Always,” his reply was smug but not as confident as he hoped, and he glanced between the other two, “behave.”

“Yes, sir,” Malia mocked, but all Lana could do was shrug, her way of saying  _ maybe _ , before Stiles disappeared again.

Lana waited to hear the little girl’s voice on the line and the cute way Scott started to ask her questions before she focused on Lydia again. “Okay, the alpha is thoroughly distracted, tell me what I want to know.”

“They’re not complete images, not the whole story, but I saw the Nemeton,” Lydia whispered, sitting forward.

“I was told it was dead.”

“Dormant,” she smirked, “the tree can’t be dead, it’s roots go too deep, but it can sleep and replenish.” This wasn’t changing anything, so Lydia got off the subject. “What I saw was you, and Scott, both dead and bleeding on the stump, arranged in a strange pattern. The wounds weren’t healing, you weren’t breathing and…” she paused, like any dramatic effect was going to change the way that Lana’s heart was racing now. The symbiote rolled her eyes and waved her hand for her to continue.

“Say it,” Lana growled, “say who was standing above us, Lydia.”

For a moment, she debated, unsure of what the wild one was going to do but Lana needed to know. “Liam.” Lana growled, pushed back her chair and stood, pacing the length of the loft with her hands tented over her nose. “Liam was above you and Theo was on the other side.”

“It’s not true,” she closed her eyes, stopped for a moment just to catch her breath, to stop the pain in her chest but she felt her teeth elongate, the ache of it in her jaw and clenching the rail, she stretched her lips, making room for her wolf. The room filled with a purple haze, as the pain spread. “It’s not true.”

“Lana,” Lydia’s voice was quiet, calming but the wolf was hearing none of it. She growled towards the sound, her nails digging deep into the palm of her free hand. “Lana, control it.”

“ _ NO _ !” and with that she was up and over the railing, her feet barely touching the floor before she was moving out the door and into the hallway. She could hear the voices of those behind her, calling out her name, begging her to stop, Scott, Theo, and Liam’s above everyone else’s, but she needed to move.

By the time she reached the bottom of the stairs, she had stripped off the button-down, stepped out of the sweat and shifted. Her chestnut wolf raced away from the building, following the scent of a well-traveled path, one used mostly by Derek.

Buildings swept by, roads turned from pavement to dirt and she found herself making her way through the woods. She didn’t know where she was going, she just knew she had to get out. She should have known that she couldn’t keep the safety she had found, it was way too confining, too closed in but when she bound out of the tree line, she found herself skidding to a stop, claws barely catching the dirt before she tripped over the massive roots of what once was a tree, now lay a cracked and peeling mess of a husk.

She slowly shifted, standing naked in the elements as the rain poured down. She hadn’t noticed the way the sky had opened up, not before she left, but the heat from her wolf made it barely noticeable. She circled the tree, her eyes alight with power and she could see the magic that still flowed through it. The Nemeton, the very spot that Lydia said she would die, but she didn’t smell any threat in the area, just the decay of old flora, the moist scent of dirt under foot. With caution in each step, she moved forward, fingers reaching, and gently, she lay her hand on the wood.

It hummed against her skin, pulsed as if it were communicating and then it stopped. Slowly, she stood, suddenly aware of the presence behind her, and with each slow beat of her heart, she turned until she was facing a breathless Theo, claws clenched at his side, rain coating his body, as he breathed deeply through his nose, expanding his chest. His golden eyes locked on her, full of fury and concern.

“Why did you run?” He growled out, the need to protect her coursing through his words.

“Why did you follow?” she bounced back and watched as his breathing slowed, as if hearing her voice had taken the bite out of his posturing.

“You left,” Theo’s soft voice reached her ears even with the rain drowning it out, “you left, and Scott freaked out. I didn’t know what else to do.”

“Did you know that this is where I die?” She started to shake, the cold feel of the rain finally broke through the adrenaline coursing through her veins, “that’s where  _ you _ stand over my body as I bleed out. YOU, Theo.” She stepped closer to him, claws extended, fangs long but blunt, but his eyes faded, and he shook his head. “What do I do with that?”

“Trust me,” he begged, but his tone was defeated, like he had been down this road before.

“That’s the problem,” she closed her eyes, letting the power go, and when she looked at him again, the wolf was gone, curled up inside her, “I always have. But, she’s a banshee, she sees  _ death _ .”

“Her predictions can always be changed, Lana,” Theo shook his head, trying to make her understand and he ran his hand through his soaked hair, pushing it out of his face, “every time… every single time she’s come at us with these visions, we’ve managed to change it. This will be no different. I’m not going to lose you,” he stepped towards her, hands fisted at his side, unsure if he was allowed to reach out, “I can’t.”

“Why?” she didn’t get it, didn’t understand this side of him, but she wanted to... no,  _ needed _ to.

“I,” he tried to focus on that feeling, the one inside, but he couldn’t grab on and hold it long enough to figure it out, “I don’t know.”

Lana wrapped her arms around herself, feeling her hair cling to her as she closed her eyes, steadied her heart, “what do we do now?”

“Go home,” he raised his hand just a bit, hesitated and slowly uncurled his fingers, offering it to her, showing her the soft underside of his wrist, a vulnerable point, and slowly she slipped her hand into his.

Theo couldn’t hold back, not for that long and he used the point of contact to pull her in, wrap his arms around her shoulders and hold her against him, if only for long enough to make sure she was unharmed.

It was an unspoken agreement that they shift, but Lana followed cautiously when she noticed they weren’t headed back to Derek’s loft. She paused at the edge of the woods, taking in the two story house, and pranced in her spot as Theo turned back to look at her. He moved up, rubbed his side against hers and waited. He wasn’t going to push her into stepping out into unknown territory, but the back door flung open and suddenly Scott stood on the stairs of the screened-in porch, his eyes focused on Lana.

She stepped out of the woods, one step at a time before she suddenly shifted, and was wrapped protectively in his arms. Scott closed his eyes, burying his face against the crook of her neck, breathing in her scent as his hand spread over her back, one at the curve of her spine, the other between her shoulders and his red eyes landed on Theo, who slowly moved forward, shifting to nod at him as he past.

“Where did you go?” Scott whispered into her wet hair.

“The Nemeton,” her warm breath brushed across his neck, just under his chin, taking in the way he smelled, wishing she had never caused the sour mix of worry to overpower the natural draw of his wolf. “What Lydia said…”

“I know,” he shushed her, drawing her in closer, “I know, she told me, too.”

Someone cleared their throat at his back, and Scott held back the need to growl, to show his possession, but it turned out it was just his mother, and she brought a peace offering. A warm blanket. Her brow went up, and her eyes went to the clear fact that Lana was naked before she raised it to him again.

Scott smiled, felt himself flush just a bit, and nodded as he took it, wrapping it around her carefully, quickly missing the feeling of her skin under his hands. When she stopped shivering, he rubbed his hands down her arms and kissed her forehead.

“Come on inside, we’ll find you something to wear, get you warm.” His offer was only met with a slight nod of her head, and he slipped an arm around her shoulder as he led her inside.

Theo had raided the stash of clothes that Melissa always kept in case one or more of the pack had torn them, or just ruined them with blood, and was now standing in the living room watching the pair carefully. But it was Liam that met them at the door, his eyes going over what he could of Lana before he reached out a hand. Theo knew that Liam was a hopeless romantic, but he had never seen the beta so enamored by one person before, of course, that made two of them and while he didn’t understand it, he didn’t really need to when Liam’s eyes lit up as she took his fingers in his, just before drawing him into an embrace.

“Okay, I know you all have this thing about not caring who’s naked, but there are way too many men in this room for her to be just in a blanket.” Melissa made her way between them, which got an uncharacteristic whine from Liam and ushered her up to Scott’s room. Derek, who had just stepped out of the kitchen, let his eyes wander up the stairs before they went back to Scott and his brows went up, ticking his head in that direction.

“You’re right,” was all the alpha said before he bound up the stairs behind them.

Derek turned slowly, directing his attention to Theo. “So, where did you find her?” Theo crossed his arms, leaning back on the wall to play sentry to the stairs.

“I tracked her to the Nemeton,” his tone and posture gave Derek the impression that he just didn’t want to talk about it, but his eyes flicked to the evolved wolf. “Why didn’t you go after her? You shift just as fast, you know these woods, why did you let me go?”

“If you haven’t noticed, you’re a little too protective for my taste,” Derek smirked. “If anyone had followed you, how would you have reacted? Would you let them help or would you have done the same thing she did to me, attack without cause?” Theo thought for a moment, just a moment and his whole body slumped. Derek was right, he was way too stuck on keeping her safe, and others away. “See, it was better to let you go alone, no one here had a second thought that you wouldn’t bring her back, Theo, so we trusted you with her safety.”

“Why?” He stood straight, turning towards the man, but Derek just shrugged it off.

“Why not?” was all he said as he stepped away, heading towards Isaac, who sat quietly, just watching from the couch. “We should probably call Argent about the medallion.”

“Isn’t that where you sent the others?” the beta beside him chimed in.

“I didn’t send them anywhere, Scott did.” Derek turned his gaze on Isaac's and shrugged, “we’ll just have to wait until he comes down to figure out what to do next.”

*****

Melissa rolled her eyes as Scott entered the room and sat down on the guest bed. She continued going through the clothes on the dresser, doing nothing but keeping her eyes on her son, even if his leg bounced and his gaze was fixed on the bathroom door.

“Why is Lana Ravenwolf walking around naked in my backyard?” Melissa questioned quietly, and Scott felt himself blush again. “Okay, so why is Theo prancing around bare-assed?”

“Honestly, I don’t have the answers to that,” Scott sighed, “well, I do, but I don’t.”

“Alright, so tell me why you look like you’re about ready to jump out of your skin if she doesn’t come out that door in one piece?” Scott’s eyes went from her, to the door, to the small stain on the rug where Isaac had bled from a wound years ago. “Can you tell me anything about her?”

“She’s my mate,” he whispered, “she’s a symbiote, almost like a chimera but instead of two sets of DNA, she has two wolves inside her, one’s an alpha spirit, one’s her own.”

“And she’s your…  _ mate _ ?” Melissa whispered.

“Yeah,” he breathed out, a little uncertain himself.

“What does that mean?”

“I don’t know,” he sighed, “I can feel her, smell her, I,” he paused, looking up with confused child-like eyes at his mother, “I need her.”

“Well, that sounds like,” she sat down on the bed beside him, a tee-shirt wrapped in her hands, “it sounds like a lot. What are you going to do?”

“Protect her,” he shrugged, “get to know her, make sure nothing happens to her.”

“Have you asked her what she wants?”

“I haven’t even had time to process the fact that she’s even here,” he admitted but shook his head, “I don’t even know what to do, there hasn’t been a mating bond in so long, the only thing we have to go on is myths from the beginning. We’re kind of winging it.”

“Just be gentle, Scott,” Melissa kissed him on the temple, patted him on the shoulder, and stood, holding out the shirt and sweats. “This is all I have right now, I’m pretty sure they’ll fit her, but I need to know her size for jeans if she needs them.”

“I could have Theo get some of her stuff at the house,” he offered, but took the clothes. Melissa just narrowed her eyes at him, unsure, before she turned and left the room.

With a sigh, he made his way towards the bathroom, knocked softly on the door and entered only after a moment of silence, his heart racing as he thought that maybe she had disappeared again. He placed the clothes on the sink, and gently pulled at the curtain.

“Lana, it’s me,” with no response, he tugged it open to find her sitting in the tub, the warmth of the spray hitting her directly, but her eyes were closed and he knew she was sleeping. With a smile on his face, he turned the water off, grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her as he lifted her from the tub.

He held her against him, carried her out to the room, and placed her gently on the bed, attempting to towel her off without waking her.

“Liam,” he whispered, knowing the moment he caught the beta’s attention. “She fell asleep, let the others know I’m going to keep watch over her for a bit, then I’ll be done. Have Mom call Argent and Stiles.”

The faint “okay” wasn’t hard to pick up, but Scott shut them out, glanced a little unsure at the tee-shirt in the bathroom before he snatched it up and began to gently pull it on her. Lana sighed, helped him the best she could with weighted arms and just as he was about to pull away, tucking the blankets up around her, she grabbed tightly to his hand.

“Stay,” her voice was mumbled, lips uncooperative, but he heard, nodded, not that she could see, and let her pull him down beside her. Scott slipped his arm under her head, as she turned and curled up against him, arms tucked up to his chest and he wrapped his own around her enough that she would feel him close. “I’m scared.”

“I am too,” he answered honestly before his lips touched her forehead, “about a lot of things.”

“About us?” she sighed.

“Especially about us,” he closed his eyes, let his fingers caress down her spine and felt her relax into him, sleep taking over.

*****

Theo stared up at the ceiling. He could hear her heartbeat from where he stood, and while he wasn’t trying to be stalkerish, the animal inside him needed to keep track of her. Liam slapped him on the arm, grabbing his attention with the sting of the hit, but when he looked over at the blue-eyed man, Liam only smirked, like he knew just what Theo was thinking.

The door opened and Stiles walked in, decked out in full uniform, and his eyes narrowed in confusion as he looked over the crowd. “Aren’t you missing one alpha?”

“And a symbiote,” Derek shrugged, “she fell asleep, so Scott’s up, keeping an eye on her.”

“No,” Theo grinned, “he’s asleep too.”

“What?” Stiles snapped, “seriously?” And with that the deputy was on his way up the stairs, stomping away as he went.

“Really?” Derek glared at Theo, who just shrugged innocently. “Jealousy is not your color.”

“I’m not jealous, I know she’s safe, I just think that if he’s going to call this meeting, he should at least be here for it.” Theo’s tone suggested otherwise but Liam wasn’t going to point that out.

“So, who’s going to go keep watch?” Isaac asked as Melissa set a cup of coffee down in front of Derek.

“No one needs to keep watch,” she announced, “Lana is perfectly capable of sleeping alone until you get this straightened out.”

“So, you think,” Theo mumbled, but his eyes went up to the sound of Stiles’ boots on the floor above him.

***** Saturday afternoon about 4 pm

“Hey, Scott, wake up.” Was it weird that Stiles was invading his dreams? Scott moved further into the warmth of Lana’s touch, but the dream persisted. “Dude, I’m on the clock here, and you’re seriously biting into my investigation time, so wake up!”

Scott moaned and turned his head, blinking the man behind him into focus. “Stiles?”

“Yeah, time to wake up, buddy, join the rest of the living world,” he always hated the way Stiles was so  _ awake _ , and he growled in his frustration. “You called this meeting, now come on, besides, the boys are getting restless, I think they need to check on her. You can feel the tension in Theo from all the way up here.”

Scott inhaled, sensed the chemo signals along the bond, the one even he and Theo shared without actually being blood bonded. It wasn’t just Theo that was skirting the edge of control, but Liam as well and while it wasn’t out of the realm of normality for the younger beta, Theo being on edge was a new sensation.

Scott leaned in and kissed her softly on the forehead, but as he moved out from around her, he caught himself looking at her lips, before he bit his own and stood. Stiles backed up, brows raised, as he looked over his friend.

“You cool?” Scott rolled his eyes as the question. He was far from it, but he nodded and followed Stiles out of the room.

Down at the bottom of the stairs, Theo swayed from one foot to the other, eyes on the alpha the whole time, and once he hit the floor, he gave the man a little nod just before Theo rushed up the stairs. Liam snickered, shaking his head as he sipped on the coffee that filled the warm mug his hands were wrapped around.

“I don’t think I’m ever going to get used to that,” Stiles sighed as he turned the corner into the kitchen, eyes locked upstairs where Theo had raced by.

“Don’t think any of us are,” Derek sighed. The door opened and Chris Argent walked in, a wink in the direction of Melissa and a grin at the boys standing around the island. “Argent.”

“Welcome home,” Melissa smiled as she kissed him quickly, which got an eye roll from everyone else.

“I come home for lunch and find out we have a house full of boys,” he glanced around, then caught the movement above him. “Which one’s that?”

“Theo,” Liam smirked as he paid loving attention to the cup in his hand.

“Should have known when I didn’t see him shadowing you,” the older man, a human and ex-hunter, grinned in his direction. Liam sighed exasperated and shook his head.

“You know, there are times when the two of us are not together,” Liam raised a brow.

“That’s because the school doesn’t allow unauthorized visitors in the classroom without a CORI check,” Stiles piped up, and got a growl for his efforts to set the record straight.

“Calm down,” Argent laughed, “so, tell me why we’re all standing here?”

Stiles pulled the medallion out of his pocket, having found it on the mat after Lana ran off. He slid it across the table, meeting Argent’s confused expression with one of his own. Chris picked it up, turned it over in his hand and shook his head.

“What is this?”

“That’s the one piece of evidence that I took off the body found in the preserve last night.” Stiles confessed.

“Lana said it belonged to her brother,” Scott added, and the name got Argent’s attention.

“Lana?” he narrowed his eyes at Scott, “Lana Ravenwolf?”

“Yeah, she said her brother’s name was…"

“Jonathan,” Argent replied, placing the medallion on the table, all humor faded from his face as he stood straight and stared at Scott. “Listen, you need to take her and leave.”

“We know she’s in danger, Chris, that’s why we brought her here.” Stiles spoke up, “Marin said this was the safest place for her.”

“Obviously not,” he snapped, “if Jonathan is in the area, his sister is anything but.” His eyes landed on Scott’s again. “You take her, and you leave, this isn’t a game.”

“Yeah, but no one is telling me what the hell she’s running from to begin with, Argent,” Scott growled, “so when someone gives me anything to go on, then I’ll make the decision on where to go or whether to stay here and fight for her on our own land.”

“She’s not a wolf!”

“No, she’s a symbiote,” Derek spoke up, as he moved closer to Scott. “We know all about what she is and how she got that way, Argent, what we don’t know is why she’s in danger and from who.”

“A symbiote doesn’t begin to cover what kind of power she has,” Chris sighed, he knew he wasn’t going to get anywhere with them, they had been through too much shit to back down, tuck tail, and run and hide. He placed both hands on the table and steadied himself. “Let me guess, you found half a body, one without a face, and so far no known identification even from fingerprints and dental records.”

Stiles stood straight, meeting Scott’s confused expression with his own. “How did you know?”

“It’s a calling card of sorts.”

“Of course, it is,” Stiles rolled his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose, “I think I’m getting a migraine.”

“Okay, so, whose calling card?” Scott stepped in.

“They call themselves  _ Chasseurs de la lune _ , and they’ve been around just as long as my family’s been hunting.” Argent glanced around the group, he knew they were intelligent, he just didn’t know why they were just standing around.

“Hunters of the moon?” Liam questioned, looking uncertain of his translation.

“Yes.”

“That is the lamest name for a group of werewolf hunters ever,” Stiles cringed.

“They’re not werewolf hunters, they  _ are _ werewolves,” and once again the deputy found himself looking at the ceiling as he shook his head.

“Of course, they are,” he huffed.

“What do they want with Lana then, she is a werewolf,” Scott didn’t understand where this was going.

“They only believe in pure bloods,” Derek sighed as he stepped up once again to the table. “The  _ Chasseurs _ have a code, only born wolves are pure and everything else should be destroyed. The fact that there are so many bitten wolves goes to show how poor their efforts are, but it makes sense that they would be after her.”

“No!” Theo growled, rounding the corner with Lana placed behind him, her hand gently in his. “It doesn’t make sense at all. These people are after her because of what she is, how does that compute with you?”

“She’s a born wolf, but her other side, to them that’s not natural,” Argent explained. He looked past Theo at the blue-eyed woman who stood tall, eyeing him over. “Lana.”

She sighed out his name, “Argent,” and moved around Theo as the ex-hunter opened his arms to her. It wasn’t just Scott and Stiles that exchanged confused looks, but the rest of the pack as well.

“I’m sorry,” he sighed, his hand pressed against the back of her head. “I should have come sooner.”

“It wouldn’t have mattered, Marin got me here as soon as she could.” Lana whispered, backing away from him. She hesitated just for a minute before she turned towards the pack, eyes landing on amber ones, “thanks to Stiles.”

“Can someone  _ please _ explain to me what the fuck is going on!” Scott growled; his eyes focused on the way the human hunter held her. Lana backed away slowly, weaving through the bodies until she stood right in front of him, his red eyes pleading with her as she touched his cheek. Scott’s eyes slowly closed, the red fading from them, “please.”

“They want to extract the spirit,” Argent sighed, “Jonathan joined them shortly after Lana came back, knowing she was different, he sought them out for answers. What he got was brainwashed, falling into their belief that his sister was a monster that shouldn’t be allowed to live, it was about that time that I got involved with a group that was helping to hide their targets, but we were too late to get to Lana then.” Scott pulled her close, his eyes fluttered open to look at Argent, at the guilt on his face. “We managed to track her to Tennessee six years ago, but we lost her trail when the pack there took her. If it wasn’t for Stiles bringing her to Marin we might not have found her at all.

“From there we kept tabs on her whereabouts, unable to keep her in any of our safe houses because of the hunters that still worked for Monroe, at least up until she was killed two years ago. They were all bugged, so even those weren’t safe enough for her.” Melissa placed a hand gently on Chris’s shoulder, seeing the way he fisted his hands on the counter. “When we finally got a lock on where the Chasseurs were and how close they had come to finding her, Marin and I teamed up with other alphas, those willing to keep her protected in the pack, but some had found out about Tennessee, some didn’t want her anywhere near their betas so she’s been on the move ever since.”

“I was in Utah three weeks ago when they came after me again,” Lana spoke up, turning in Scott’s arms. He could feel her shaking under his touch, and watched as Theo took a step towards her, his movement unsure with Scott behind her, but she glanced in his direction, giving him just a look. “One of them had caught me, but they weren’t from the group, they were just hunters, had me locked in a basement, tied up to some metal gating, trying to make her come out. I don’t think they knew what to expect, and to be honest, neither did I. It hurt, a lot, the electricity was so much that I think at one point I blacked out, because the next thing I knew I was crouching on the floor, six men and two women were dead, bleeding from their eyes and ears, but I didn’t know why. I just ran.”

“She called Marin, who got a hold of me to find out if there was any place that I thought would be safe. I told her about here, and Scott, and I told her to get in touch with Stiles, that you could help.” Chris winked at her as Lana gave him a small smile.

“I managed to get to Marin in Beaumont, and she hid me until she thought it was safe to send me up here.” Lana turned her eyes to Stiles again. “You know what happened after that, after she called Stiles.”

“So, what was it?” Isaac asked, his curiosity getting the best of him, “the power that freed you, what was it?”

“I don’t know,” Lana shrugged, “I’ve never had it happen before, and I can’t make it happen again, not on my own.”

“This is why you have to get her out, Scott. If Jonathan is here, it means that this isn’t as safe as we thought. If the Nemeton…”

Scott raised his hand, causing Argent to pause, “if the Nemeton was at full power, we wouldn’t have had six years of peace, but you did send her to the right place, you have to know that. She has me, she  _ has _ us, nothing’s going to happen to her.”

“And the whole  _ mates _ thing?” Stiles questioned curiously.

“Wait?” Argent blinked back and forth between them, “mates? Like true mates?”

“So, they say,” Lana blushed.

“Okay, now that’s…” he shook his head, “that’s not possible.”

“Tell that to the angry alpha,” Stiles quipped, earning an eye roll from Scott. “Look, we don’t know for sure, but everything says that’s what’s going on.”

“If that’s the case,” Argent frowned but his body language said something completely different, “maybe you’re right, and Beacon Hills is exactly where she needs to be.”

“What about the medallion?” Liam redirected, which brought them back to the silver in the middle of the table.

“Jonathan took it as a prize,” Chris scowled, “shortly after he joined the order, he was sent on a quest, bring down Argent soldiers.”

“Obvious he took out one,” Stiles shrugged, scooping up the necklace.

“Not one,” Chris spoke plainly, “an entire battalion.”

*****

Lana reached up, picking the bright pink flowers from the branch just above her head. She was trying, and failing, to ignore that young wolf that paced a few steps behind her, his brown hair in his eyes and his teeth biting on the side of his nail, blue gaze set on whatever happened to be in his path. 

Liam was anything but quiet.

“You have something on your mind, don’t you?” She spoke quietly, not bothering to raise her voice because he was definitely close enough to hear her, she just didn’t need everyone in the house to know. The only other person out there was Theo and he was bouncing a tennis ball against the sidewalk while sitting on the steps of the back porch, trying his best to seem at ease.

“The vision,” Liam spoke up, shaking his head, “what were we doing just standing there?”

“You’d have to ask Lydia,” Lana turned, smiling at him, the handful of cherry blossoms cupped gently in her hand. “I’m not a banshee or a psychic so I only envisioned what she told me.”

“But you know we wouldn’t hurt you, right, or Scott?” That was it, what was what he was really worried about. Lana stepped up to him, looked him dead in the eye because unlike the rest of the pack, Liam was about her height give or take a bit, and she winked. He was a little taken aback by the small flirty gesture, but a wide grin formed on his lips and his cheeks darkened. “Don’t do that.”

“Don’t do what?” She smirked and did it again. Liam swallowed hard, and Lana’s grin only broadened at the wide-eyed expression on his face when he looked to Theo for help, but his old friend did nothing but bounce the ball and grin back at him. “Liam?”

“You,” he breathed out, “you shouldn’t do that.”

“Wink?” she stepped just a bit closer, feeling the sudden pull of his emotions.

“Flirt,” he whispered, well, mainly just breathed out the word, and slowly he shifted his eyes to meet hers. “You know, with Scott and everything.”

“Do you wanna dance?” the humor had died from her lips; the strange playful nature had disappeared, and he stared at her with a strange expression. “I’m sorry, you don’t have to, but it’s been just a whole lot of weird in the last twenty-four hours. I just wanna go back.”

“To what?” but he was already moving towards her, hands on her hips as she slowly rested hers on his shoulders, the cherry blossoms stuffed into the pockets of the sweats she wore. There wasn’t any music, there was just the two of them, touching hips to chest.

“To us, the three of us,” she sighed, and both had seemed to automatically respond to the mutual touch, even as their eyes settled on Theo, who was now picking at an anthill with the end of a stick, “just us in a field, with a campfire.”

“You spiked your whiskey, didn’t you?” Liam found her eyes back on him as she nodded, not at all ashamed.

“I was on edge, and I needed to not be,” she slid her hands up, resting them behind his head, playing with the long strands of hair that touched the collar of his shirt. He heard the way she exhaled as he wrapped his arms around her, letting her rest her cheek on his shoulder. “I’d give anything to go back.”

“Yeah,” he glanced at Theo, at the way his friend, his brother’s eyes trailed down the two of them, “me too.”

*****

Mason stood at the counter, the coroner’s report in hand and he was looking right at Scott. The alpha seemed distracted, but it wasn’t because of the three pack members outside, he was staring at his phone.

“Scott, are you even listening?” Mason scolded.

“What?” he looked up quickly, putting the phone screen down, “yeah, you said that Argent was right.”

“He was about the identification, but did he go into any detail on the weapon used to do it?”

Derek stepped up, looming over them as Mason felt scrutinized. Derek could always do that to him, and it hadn’t changed in twelve years, he was pretty sure it wasn’t ever going to get any easier.

“Argent didn’t say much about that at all,” Derek spoke up, noticing Scott’s lack of concentration. He reached for the phone, snatching it before the alpha could protest. “What has got you all…” Derek paused, the teasing nature already fading. “What is this?”

“It’s from Malia,” Scott admitted, “she says she knows who the body is.”

“What?” Stiles stepped closer, having not bothered to go back to work, but then again, he was on-call, so he was only driving around in the squad car. “Who?”

“Caitlyn Sprague,” Derek replied, setting the phone down with the woman’s picture, the one they used for her hospital ID badge. Melissa stopped drying the dishes and made her way over to the table, drawing the phone closer.

“She didn’t come into work last night,” she offered, shaking her head in disbelief. “She was supposed to cover a shift in the maternity ward, but no one had heard from her and her cell was going to voicemail as soon as it picked up.”

“Did Malia say where she got the information from?” Stiles questioned as Derek reached out for the report that lay forgotten on the table.

“It’s just her picture,” Scott added.

“Do we still not know how the hell they did that to her face?”

Derek flipped through the papers, stopping for a moment to read, “a lancet.”

“So, someone with access to a scalpel?” Mason shrugged, trying to narrow down suspects that they might have seen around town.

“Which could be just about anyone,” Corey spoke up, entering the room for the first time. He had been over by the computer helping Isaac search through the footage of the cameras they had placed in the Preserve. “We didn’t find anything; they must have known where the blind spots were.”

“There aren’t blind spots in that area, at least, there shouldn’t be,” Stiles seemed utterly confused as Scott raised a brow. “Listen, I’m going to go back out there and check out the scene, something’s definitely not right.”

“Dragons?” Derek smirked and watched the  _ how dare you _ look creep up on Stiles’ face. “You explained this to me yesterday, there’s no dragons in this area, and no one dropped her in from the sky.”

“You don’t know that!” Stiles really did seem offended now, “way to squash my dreams, Hale.”

“Come on,” Derek smiled as he walked by, patting him on the shoulder, “I’ll go with you in case your dragons think you're tasty and go good with ketchup.”

“You’re an asshole,” Stilinski deadpanned as he turned and followed Derek out the door.

Scott was glad for the humor, but he could tell it didn’t give Melissa the same relief. “Hey, Mom, you doing okay?”

“Well, I’d probably be better if we didn’t live in the middle of a town full of supernatural bad guys,” she gave a clearly sarcastic smirk and sighed, “six years and nothing, now out of the blue it’s happening again.”

“We always thought it would come back,” Scott rounded the island and wrapped his mother in a gentle hug, “but we’ll get through this, just like every other time.”

*****

“ Stay. All I ever wanted was to blame, all you ever wanted was to save me.” Lana sang under her breath as she sat on the sidewalk in front of Theo, a bowl in her lap where she was crushing the cherry blossoms the best she could. “Licking all the wounds is not that easy. Perfect picture and it's worth it...”

“What are you singing?” Theo shifted, moving down to face her, his thigh against hers, but Lana only glanced up, smiling.

“Five North,” she paused in her work, brought her knee up and wrapped her arm around it, taking the time to look over his features. “It’s a small local band from Santa Clarita,” she shrugged, as his brow lifted in a curious manner. “I was hiding out in town when I stumbled on a bar, at first I wasn’t sure why the music drew me in, but once I was sitting there listening, I knew. Their lead singer was a beta, sweet guy, covered in tattoos, the cutest baby face you’ll ever see.” And now she was trying to get a rise out of him, but Theo knew it, he could almost tell what she was doing as he narrowed his eyes at her. “Stayed with him and the band for about a month,” and then her smile faded, “they caught up, and I decided to make myself scarce.”

“Did you,” Theo cleared his throat, glanced behind her at Liam who was stretched out on the wet grass, staring up at the clouds before he focused on her again, “did he die?”

“No,” she was quiet when she answered, “at least, not that I know of. I told Marin about them, hoped that she could make contact, but I also told her it would probably be better if I didn’t know, and if he didn’t know I was alive.”

“I’m sorry,” he gently slid his fingers around hers, eyes locked on her face as he brought them up to his lips.

“Don’t flirt,” Liam snickered behind them and Theo stopped just before he met flesh, “you know Scott would kick your ass for it.”

“No one’s flirting,” Theo sighed, dropping their hands to his thigh, but not letting her go, “except you.”

“I am  _ not _ flirting,” and the reaction from the beta was what brought the smile back to her face. “I’m bored.”

“Me too,” Theo sighed, looking up at the clouds, “you think we’re stuck here?” there was a devilish grin on his face as he glanced at the woods behind them. Liam moved up onto his elbows, and Lana looked back at the trees. “Would a run really hurt?”

“Yes, it really would,” the three of them turned to look up at Scott, who was standing in the doorway. “Are you guys asking to get caught?”

“No,” Liam sighed, “just trying not to go insane.”

“Theo?” The commanding voice of the alpha had him shaking his head, but when Scott’s eyes landed on Lana, she just raised a brow and shrugged. “Lana, I know you’re used to running, and running away from these people, but it really isn’t safe to go out into the woods. I’m not,” he watched her slowly rise to her feet, fingers not letting go of Theo at all, but he moved down to meet her eye level. “I’m not trying to be a dick; I just want to keep you…”

“Safe? Yeah, I know,” she drew in his scent, his concern over her well-being, and the fact that his entire body was poised for a fight. “I’m not asking you to trust me with the boys, Scott, they’re your betas and your responsibility, but I am asking you to trust in me and my instincts to know exactly what the hell is out there.”

“What’s out there is your brother, the one you told me used to abuse you,” his voice rose with irritation at the fact that the only other strong-headed women he had ever met were the ones in his pack and they rarely defied his orders. “There is an entire order of hunters,  _ werewolf _ hunters out there after you and they left the mutilated body of some poor woman just to let you know they were here. That’s what’s out there.” He was now staring down at her as her eyes gave a faint hint of the purple in them. “I know we don’t know each other, Lana, but I’m trying to protect you.”

“I appreciate that, I really do,” she let the feel of Theo’s grip fall away before she really let it flow, “but where the hell were you six years ago?” She stepped back, knowing that question was totally unfair, but she didn’t need him anymore, she had that long to figure out how to survive. She turned and was about to walk away when he grabbed her arm. Lana growled, snapping back to face him, claws positioned over his heart, Scott’s reply rumbled in his chest, red matching the fierceness in her gaze. Behind her, Liam scrambled to get up, but while that protective streak was burning through him, he could do nothing but watch, and hold Theo back. “Let go.”

“I can’t let you walk away,” Scott’s voice was demanding and while that might have put some of his pack in place, it only got a slight smirk from the woman in front of him.

“You’re not _ letting _ me do anything, McCall,” she pressed the sharp tips into his chest, seeing the way his lips ticked up in pain, but it was the low sound deep in his throat that got a full smile to come up on her lips. “I’m not your beta.”

“No, you’re my mate,” he breathed out and then back in deeply, pressing into those claws, “I’m not letting you leave.”

“I’m not asking,” her power flared, and suddenly Scott found himself down on his knees, wheezing like he was having an asthma attack, fighting the blackout feeling as he finally was able to look up. Lana stepped back from his touch, her eyes back to blue before she glanced at Liam, locked eyes with Theo, and walked away.

Liam moved, kneeling in front of Scott, hands on his cheeks as the alpha fought to focus. “Hey, you okay?”

“Yeah,” he sat up more, letting his head fall back as he caught his breath.

“Dude,” Theo whispered, still looking in the direction Lana had disappeared to, “I think you just met your match.”

Scott laughed, well as much as he could, before he slouched over, bringing a hand up to where she had dug in. It was like an electric shock, something that had kickstarted his heart and stopped it at the same time, but it wasn’t deadly, it was just a warning. He closed his eyes, breathing in deeply through his noses and let his senses fill with the fire her scent caused.

That was the hint that followed in her wake, just a slight smell of burnt ozone that trailed after her, and while he should be pissed, he couldn’t wipe the damn smile from his face, even as Liam sighed, patting him on the back as he stood. The beta’s signals were all over the place, wanting to follow but needing to stay, fighting to keep put, but being dragged by the pull. Scott groaned as he got to his feet, met Liam’s concerned eyes, before he turned his gaze on Theo, who was still looking at the corner of the house where _ she _ had disappeared.

“Give her a few,” Scott whispered in his ear as he moved past, “she hasn’t gone far.”

“How do you know?” Theo asked through clenched teeth, turning his head to look the alpha directly in the eyes.

“I can sense her,” was all he said as he walked into the house, both betas at his back, but he knew that Theo wasn’t going to give up that easy.

“What the hell was that?” He barked out, and Scott stopped in the middle of the room, “was it some kind of kink for you? Some sort of power trip?”

The fight drained from Scott as he thought about those moments, “no.”

“You don’t know half of the hell she’s been through.” Scott closed his eyes, Theo was right, but he couldn’t just  _ let _ her.

_ “You’re not  _ letting  _ me do anything, McCall,” _ her words to him, and Scott felt the guilt wash over him.

“Theo,” he turned slowly towards the chimera, expecting the anger he saw there, but he didn’t realize the pain that would accompany it. No wonder they were so connected, he felt her past as much as Scott did, and he slowly let out a breath. “I’m not going to…”

“You say  _ hurt her _ and I will punch you in the face, alpha or not,” Theo was seething, even with Liam by his side. “You don’t see it, do you? You don’t know that you already did with that little display. What did you think would happen when you brought up all that  _ bullshit _ , Scott? Did you really think that was going to convince her that here wasn’t just another form of control? Another way to keep her locked down?”

“I don’t,” Scott was at a loss, and he admitted it, shrugging his shoulders as he threw his hands up in defeat, “I don’t know how to help her.”

“I do,” he marched towards him, grabbed his jacket off the couch and bared his fangs at the alpha, “stay away.”

“That’s  _ enough _ !” Lana’s voice boomed through the house, causing Liam to flinch, but both Scott and Theo looked in her direction. “I won’t be the cause of another pack falling apart.” Theo moved to step towards her, but she raised a hand, giving a small shake of her head. “No, Theo, I’m sorry, but don’t, okay.”

“Lana,” he kept his voice small, the only thing he could do for her, but she only held up a finger.

“We’re not ready for this,” her eyes were set on Scott this time, “whatever  _ this _ is, we can’t do it now.” She waited for his response, but it never came, he just waited silently for the moment she walked out the door. “Theo, stay with him,” but that was the moment the beta broke down, closing his eyes as his body trembled. “Liam?”

“Yeah” was his only word, and then she was gone.

Scott tried to find something to focus on, but the world around him was blurred and warped, even as Theo crouched down, the wounded sound he made nearly broke Scott’s heart, and that was when he noticed it. Her scent, her heartbeat, they were gone, like she could block him from it. Melissa stepped over, wrapped her arms around her son and held him, even as Liam embraced the lost man on the floor, keeping the chimera stable.

*****

Stiles crouched down eyeing over the spot where the body... okay, half a body, lay the other night, sighing as he scanned over the area.

“Here,” Derek huffed, put out, and crouched down beside him, nudging his arm with his elbow, nearly pushing the human over, “let me. Sometimes our eyes can pick up things you can’t.”

Stiles groaned and stood, “you know what gets me?” He grabbed a stick and twirled it absently as he walked the outside perimeter of the scene, “we’ve known each other for almost thirteen, fourteen years. and you’re still a dick.”

Derek smiled, gave him a half shrug, and focused his power on the space in front of him, knowing without a doubt just where the deputy was. “You know what they say, why mess with a good thing?”

“Why’d you come out here with me, Derek?” Stiles sighed, but from the sound of his voice, his echo wave, Derek could almost tell that he had stopped and was bending over to pick something up, just as his eyes focused on the infrared of something in the dirt. “Hey, check this out.”

“I found something,” both looked up at the same time, Stiles holding a bullet casing in a gloved hand and Derek pointing to something. Stiles made his way over, stripped off the glove and handed it, and the casing, to Derek before poking at the place under the leaves where Derek pointed. “That’s weird.”

“Yeah, so’s the thing you found,” Stiles replied, his eyes locked on the silver cuff link just barely stuck in the ground. With a flash of his camera, he took the end of the stick, popped it out of what definitely wasn’t a heel print.

“No, seriously, this casing’s never been fired out of a gun,” Derek brought it to his nose, sniffed and shook from the smell, “but there’s definitely gun powder, and silver traces.”

“She wasn’t shot.” Stiles glanced over at him, giving him a quizzical looked, but Derek only shot back with a  _ duh _ expression.

“What’s that?” His eyes trained on what Stiles was now picking up with another blue glove before he held up between the two of them.

“Looks like our hitman has a flair for the dramatic,” Stiles looked over the howling tribal wolf with the moon just behind it engraved on the silver link.

“Yeah, double-oh-asshole,” Derek sighed and stood, slapping at his shoulder with the back of his hand, “come on, there’s nothing else out here.”

“Except for the obvious,” when Stiles stood he looked in the direction of a specific tree, one that Derek turned to focus on. “So, there’s that one,” making sure the wolf had seen the camera, “and that one,” he turned nearly ninety degrees to point out the other one. Derek was definitely confused, as he spun in a slow circle taking in the area before he stopped, and his eyes followed the branches up to the hole in the canopy. “Still convinced it’s not dragons?”

Derek rolled his eyes, “it’s more likely they tossed her here, just on the edge of the camera views. You check them every night, right? And since it was the full moon, twice.”

“Yeah, once in the morning too, after the packs all in.” Stiles was still looking up at the canvas overhead.

“They knew where the line was, then.” Derek looked around, hands on his hips, “which means two thing, they cased the place, made sure they knew everything about this side of the Preserve, and,” he shrugged, then smiled at Stiles, who narrowed his eyes at him, “no dragons.”

Stiles scowled as Derek winked, and started to walk back towards the patrol car that sat waiting at the  _ Do Not Enter _ sign, with Stiles mocking him under his breath but not far behind.

*****

Settling down behind the wheel, Stiles bagged both the casing and the link before he jumped a foot, the cell in his pocket was set on vibrate, and since Lydia had already called on the way over, he wasn’t expecting it to ring again. Fumbling with it, he finally got it steady enough to look at the screen.

“How the hell do you even hold a gun?” Derek mocked but Stiles wasn’t being goaded this time. “What?”

“It’s Melissa,” he placed the phone in the clip attached to the dash, and pushed accept, then the speaker button. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

“Lana’s gone,” she whispered, like she wasn’t in a house full of kids with supernatural hearing. “Her and Scott had a fight, and she left.”

“Where’s Theo? Liam?” Derek was quick to ask.

“She told them to stay,” she sounded defeated, as if she had just spent a year trying to defuse a bomb.

“And they listened?” Stiles was a little shocked at that, Theo had been her shadow since the moment they met.

“She was pretty...” she laughed, “let’s just say it would have taken the power of a full pack to defy her command.”

“Jesus, how powerful is she?”

“She’s a symbiote, Stiles, we don’t know everything she can do.” Derek turned to look out the windshield no doubt spreading his senses wide to find her but after a moment of Stiles staring, he shook his head. “She’s covering everything, I can’t get a lock on her.”

“She’s had at least six years to perfect this, guys, I don’t think she’s going to make it easy for anyone.” Melissa cleared her throat. “Find her, before we have a bloodbath on our hands.”

“You think Theo’s going to kill him?” Stiles squeezed the steering wheel, then twisted his hands to center himself, this never got easier.

“If we don’t find her soon, he’s going to try.” and with that, she hung up. Stiles started the car, backing it out of the spot before he turned it quickly and headed down the road.

“Okay, so we have to think like Lana and figure out just where she would go,” Derek whispered, more to himself than the man beside him.

“No,” Stiles stated quickly, like he suddenly had an idea, his amber eyes were bright when he turned and glanced at Derek, “no, we have to think like an alpha protecting her pack. She’s not running away to leave, she’s running to keep them from harm, even if it’s her.”

“Alright, so someplace she thinks is safe, that no one would think to look.” Stiles focused on the road, as Derek sighed, “where do we start?”

Stiles honestly was at a loss, but he wasn’t going to tell Derek that. He ran the side of his finger over his lip as he made his way into town, trying to think of what would be safe, and he had an idea. 

“I got it, but it’s out there.” It was just a thought, but it was something.

*****

Theo had rushed out, not bothering to say exactly what he was doing, but he knew that Liam wouldn’t be too far behind. When he climbed into the truck, he automatically locked the doors, keeping him from getting in, but the beta moved around the side, came to the open driver’s door and looked up at him.

“I’m going with you,” Liam demanded but Theo just shook his head. “She’s mine too.”

“I know,” he put his hand on the wheel, debating but he bit his lip, eyes locking onto Liam’s blue ones, “I need someone here though.”

“We’re all here, Theo, all of us, what’s the point in me staying?”

He made sense but Theo knew she’d need something more than Scott. “She trusts you.”

“She trusts…” Liam stopped, drew in a breath and shook his head, “you're right, whatever she has with everyone else isn’t as strong.”

“Exactly,” Liam danced in his spot, ran his hand through his hair and did his best to calm his wolf. It was an improvement, a work in progress that had been going on every day since they became each other’s anchor, and now Theo was leaving him with a pissed off, emotional alpha, his own alpha. “If anyone can calm Scott, it’s you. You’re his only blood bond, Liam, he needs you here.”

“Where are you going?” That’s all he wanted to know, if he knew where Theo was and there was trouble, he could send help, it was totally logical.

“The farm first,” but he didn’t think she was there, it was just something he hoped for, “then the woods, I don’t know, but I can’t stay and do nothing.”

“Why her?” It wasn’t jealousy, it was the same thing he was asking himself, so why not voice it.

“Why not?” Theo smirked, which got a small grin from Liam and a nod before he reached back and closed the door.

Patting the blue machine, Liam stepped back, heard the engine come to life and suddenly Theo was pulling away from the sidewalk. Liam took a breath, stuffed his hands deep in his pockets and made his way back to the house, heart racing as he entered, with all eyes on him.

*****

The truck came to a screeching halt, and Theo didn’t bother to shut it off as he got out and raced for the barn. He had learned a lot about her in the week before all this happened, and the one thing he had never let out was that she didn’t like house, she preferred her own space.

Climbing the ladder in the hay loft, he moved up and over the discarded bales before slipping in through a small space in a well-hidden room at the back of the barn. As soon as he stepped in, the scent of her hit him, all concentrated in one area and he fell straight to his knees on the soft, packed hay, his breath panting out through his open lips.

A den. She built a den, or more specifically, her wolf had. Theo moved further in, careful to not touch more than necessary but he knew that even with all his cautious steps she may never come back because of his scent, one that he was pretty sure the wolf could pick up on.

He settled in the middle of it, crossed his legs and looked around. There has to be a hint somewhere that would give him a way to track her, to find another hiding spot where she felt safe. Digging his hands down into the hay, he let the heat signatures in the small area tingle against the nerve endings, and he paused.

He dug his hand deeper, brushing against the odd feeling of plastic, wrapped his fingers around it and yanked the burgundy keychain from the hay. Dangling it at eye level, he drew in a deep breath before letting a smile form on his lips.

Gotcha.

*****

Lana stared at the ceiling, her hands folded over her stomach as she tried to find patterns in the stucco, there were a few but it might have been her imagination. She was doing anything to keep her mind from focusing on the pain in Scott’s eyes when she turned to leave, the way that the two betas who had been beside her nearly the entire time fought against the command she had given.

She had hurt Theo, she knew it, and that alone stung, but the rejection her body was starting to feel at leaving Scott behind made her stomach turn and she could already feel the fever growing.

Rejection syndrome, or that was what Marin had called it when she was finally able to get in touch with the emissary an hour ago, shortly after she had started throwing up black blood. They were symptoms, signs that she would notice before it was all said and done, unless she went back to Scott before it got any worse.

“That’ll be a cold day in hell,” she had snapped back, but inside she knew the pull was there already. She really was fooling herself that she could stay away when they were already embedded so deep. 

It wasn’t his fault, like he said, he was just protecting her, but she couldn’t listen to those words again, the control and the power struggle inside of her was just too much. Scott’s words hurt, his hand on her arm had flashed her back to Jonathan, to that night before the accident, and that had been painful to endure.

“Lana,” and Marin’s voice sounded just a little amused at all of this, “you’re an alpha, so is he, warring for power is what you do, why do you think there’s only one alpha in a pack? Even in Deucalion’s pack there was a high alpha.”

“Yeah, the Demon wolf himself,” she scoffed, but was glad that was one pack she had the pleasure of  _ not _ meeting.

“Still, power is power and while Scott is not your usual alpha…”

“He’s still an alpha.” She flopped back on the bed, swallowing against the rawness of her throat.

“No, he’s still a man.”

Okay, that was kinda funny, Lana couldn’t hide the snicker that escaped.

“Don’t let your fear of them push you away from a pack that actually wants you to belong,” Lana rolled her eyes because she really didn’t need Marin to be her psychiatrist, she needed her to be her guide. “Do you understand what I’m trying to tell you, Lana?”

“Yeah, you want me to trust them,” she sat up slowly, her stomach rolling again. “I trust Liam, and Stiles…”

“Theo?” The emissary teased.

“Yeah,” she rubbed her eyes gently, trying to stay awake, “of course, I trust Theo.”

“Then build on that, take their trust in their alpha and build on that.” Why did she always have to be right? Lana rolled onto her left side, hoping the cramps would go away and let her eyes close. “Listen to me, you need to take this fight into your own hands and let your pack help.”

“They’re not my pack, they’re Scott’s,” she whispered.

“You’ll be surprised just how much a part of it you already are.”

And now, an hour later, she was staring up at  _ stucco _ . That was, until the familiar heartbeat filled her ears, two actually, and she found herself up and off the bed before the next tick of it. Standing on one side of the door, Lana closed her eyes, reached out and placed a hand against the hollow metal, stretching her senses to pick on the now two heartbeats that walked the small sidewalk, and when they stopped right in front of her room, she stepped back.

“Go away, Stiles,” she whispered, though she was positive the human couldn’t hear it. His current partner could and that was who stepped close. Lana didn’t know the wolf well, but she had heard of the Hale pack from many sources. Derek was the best of them, and she could see it in every action that he had taken to keep her safe. “Derek, take him home.”

“No, Lana,” was the hushed voice that she heard, her eyes closed, and her head tipped forward. They weren’t going to give her up or weren’t going to give up on her. “Please, let us help. I know Scott can be, well, he can be an ass, but we need you, he needs you.”

“You don’t,” she stepped back once more, hearing the jingle of the key against the plastic holder, but her eyes opened wide when she heard the unmistakable sound of Theo’s truck, and behind it… too many heartbeats. “No, no, no.”

“What’s wrong? What is it?” The former alpha could feel the panic through the door, but Lana debated. The wolf banged against the door. “LANA!”

“It’s Theo,” she swallowed, but that wasn’t it, that wasn’t the reason for the panic, it was the sound of multiple guns being cocked, the slides clicking back. “Derek, you have to leave, you have to go now.”

“Not without you.” Stiles spoke up, but she could tell he had noticed the trucks that no doubt surrounded them.

“Stiles,” her words faltered as she fought for control, “get Theo, please, and get out of here.” Lana moved, clearing the steps towards the door before Derek had a chance to ram it again, and she swung it wide. Derek wrapped his arms around her waist, yanking her back in the room just as bullets rained down. “NO!”

She pushed against them, giving just enough to let the boys cover her, but Theo had made it halfway across the parking lot. She heard the scream before she realized it was coming from her just as two bullets hit home, his eyes locking steadily on hers, for a moment just before he looked away, turning towards the spray.

Falling to his knees, he glanced back in her direction, a strange calm taking over his features as he shook his head, even while she tried to claw her way out of the hold that the larger man had on her. Men dressed in black moved in, still firing at the door and her eyes widened as three stepped up behind him, shotguns cocked and aimed right at the back of his head.

He gave her another shake, keeping her still as he slowly raised his hands, blood forming large spots on his light blue tee-shirt.

“ _ NO! _ ” She screamed, sending out a wave of power that stopped the bullets in their path, but only those close enough to hit the ripples, Theo was too far away. The one directly behind him raised the butt of the gun and struck him full force against the back of the head. His eyes rolled and his body slumped forward onto the ground. Her voice was broken as she whispered out his name, “Theo.”

A movement to the right caught her and she felt her heart stop at the familiar face that smiled menacingly at her. His eyes were much like hers, his face matched her own, but that power behind his eyes was nothing like hers.

She felt Stiles on one side, Derek on the other lifting her off the ground, pulling her back from the door, sputtering nonsense about having to go... now, but her eyes wouldn’t leave the man beside the truck, at least not until they started dragging Theo away.

She had done this. She had gotten one of the only people she had ever cared about captured by the very man who used to torture her.

Her world turned to an eerie silence, except for the sound of a heartbeat, slow, steady and fading further away. She would never remember how they escaped the room, but she knew the feeling of Derek’s hand pulling her, and the heat of Stiles steady presence at her back.

And then the beat was gone. There was nothing left but static and the purple hue that surrounded her vision.


	4. Episode Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So, what do you think so far? Yes, no? It's going to keep going, I have 8 chapters so far, but I'm taking my time posting so I can make sure to actually finish it.
> 
> You know how this goes, no beta (never gets old). Thanks for the comments and the kudos. Enjoy.

Episode 1x04

Saturday night

She was moving, she knew that much, but the force of it wasn’t because of a will of her own, it was more like she had help. Her feet went where they were told, sort of on automatic and she could suddenly hear voices surrounding her. She heard the questions, understood them, but didn’t remember if she replied.

_ “Are you hurt?” _

_ “Where’s the blood coming from?” _

_ “Were you shot?” _

_ “How many of them were there? Did you get a good look?” _

None of them made sense, she was perfectly fine. No, she wasn’t hurt, the blood wasn’t hers, she definitely wasn’t shot, she had seen so many of them, and yes, she got a very good look, but there was a voice above all of them, feminine and masculine alike that stirred her out of her daze.

_ “Where’s  _ Theo _?” _

That voice she knew that name. It brought back the image of the way his body moved when the bullets entered him, the way he turned and looked at the men holding the firearms. His eyes, the commanding way they looked right into her soul when he fell to his knees and shook his head, blue eyes filled with the expectation that she was going to listen, and he was going to die.

“Where’s Theo?” The voice came again. Liam, that hurt, broken voice belonged to…

“Liam,” she choked out, her eyes flooding with tears for the first time since he had been taken and the world around her came crashing back in. She saw them, fuzzy beings from another planet, all crowded around, checking Stiles, and Derek. 

She saw flashing of skin, Derek’s face distorted in pain as they removed a bullet, Stiles’ panicked one as he tried to wipe off the blood to make sure they found the slug, but it was Liam who stood there, lost, and she took as deep of a breath as she could, body wracked with shivers, covered in a warm blanket and she spoke his name again. “Liam.”

The blue-eyed beta looked up from where he had been staring down into Derek’s eyes, hands clenching the fabric of the man’s shirt, an angry gold glow showing the only emotion he had. Fury.  _ People can only feel one emotion at a time. _ She caught that memory, the one he was holding onto, of him sitting in the passenger's side of a car with Theo driving, and she knew he was terrified.

She couldn’t say anything else, her voice wouldn’t work, her mind wouldn’t get the memo, but she held up a hand, bloody fingers resting palm up, and he moved, slipping down to his knees to rest between hers. He wrapped his arms around her body, pulled her in tight as she felt the dam burst and her body shook with sobs.

He pushed back, smoothed her hair from her face, and studied her eyes, even as his began to water, hot tears spilling down his cheek. He drew in his lip, bit it softly, before his hands cupped her cheeks, holding her face still as he made sure she was giving him her full attention.

“This isn’t your fault,” he whispered, only for her, as he swallowed back his own emotions, “Theo doesn’t do anything he doesn’t want to. This is just who he is.”

“No,” she blinked at the heaviness of her own lids, fought against the fear and the need for sleep, as she wiped away a tear from the corner of his eyes, “this is on me, the man who took him...”

“We’ll get him back,” Liam’s wide eyes were full of determination, hell bent on saving his friend, his packmate, “you’ll see, Lana, we’ll bring him home.”

“Liam, you don’t…” her lips quivered as her body shook, the shock of it all taking over.

“I do! He loves you; he’d do anything for you,” his words were soft, whispers as he pulled her in, trying to wrap her in as much warmth as he could, “we’ll bring him home.”

She could feel the way her skin grew chilled and her heart raced as she looked past him, into Scott’s hardened eyes. She pushed at Liam, using her strength to break his hold and when he looked up at her again, she forced the words out. “I’m sorry, I think I’m going to be sick.”

Lana stood faster than she should have, and she knew this because suddenly her legs were giving out from underneath her and she was falling into Liam again.

“Okay!” Melissa yelled, suddenly right there beside them, “clear the room.” She tried to focus as it all blurred out again, holding tightly to Liam before even the feel of his warm fingers faded. “Scott!”

Her eyes sought out the alpha, but the only thing she saw with the bright red of his power, and even that was growing dark. He was there, so close, close enough to smell him, to draw in the worry that lingered in his scent, but there wasn’t anger, not towards her, but those two red orbs were slowly disappearing as the blackness encroached from the edges of her vision.

“Lana?” The tips of his fingers felt like fire on her skin, “stay with me. Lana, come on, stay.”

Darkness descended and the world went silent.

*****

It was chaos, utter chaos that the pack had never seen before. Scott was at a loss as the woman in his arms was drawn under, her body slack against him and for a moment, he had no idea what to do. He met his mother’s eyes with panic as the nurse in front of him checked her pulse, her pupil dilation, and started barking orders at the men that surrounded her.

Derek was fine, the two bullets that had entered his skin weren’t even silver, but they were laced with wolfsbane, and currently sitting in a bloody bowl on the kitchen counter. Every shot they had taken had missed Stiles completely, something that the deputy attributed to the wave of power that Lana had let off, which sounded more like a banshee’s ability than a wolf’s, but Scott wasn’t going to argue.

It had been Theo that had set him off, knowing his beta was out there, hurt and probably being tortured, but he wasn’t sure if he was that way because Theo had defied an order to stay put, or because he went there without backup. They didn’t know who they were up against, at least not fully, but Argent had already been called back, and Marin had been sent a message.

There was one thing that needed to be done before they could go in and get him.

“Scott, hold her steady,” his wide brown eyes landed on his mother as Melissa held up a stick of smelling salt.

“No, don’t!” Derek yelled, getting his feet under him as he made his way towards the room, hand putting pressure on the bandage on his left side. “We don’t know what that will do to her.”

“Ever tried it on a werewolf?” Melissa questioned, the sternness in her voice made Derek flinch and he wasn’t one to back down, but Melissa McCall was scary.

“Actually, yes,” he shrugged, “it rendered scent recognition useless for at least week.”

“I don’t even wanna know how you know that,” Stiles piped up, coming around the couch to stand on the other side, looking over Scott’s shoulder. He reached down, trailing the back of his hand across her forehead. “Jesus, she’s freezing.”

“Okay, no salts,” Melissa whispered, glanced around the room and landed right on her son. “Get her upstairs to the guest room.”

“What?” Scott wanted to ask what the hell that was going to do, but you just don’t question when she looks at you like that. He nodded, stood with her in his arms and took a deep breath, “right.”

Once in the room, he was followed by Liam, his mom,  _ Stiles?  _ which in itself was odd, until Melissa barked an order. “Alright, clothes off.”

“What?” All three boys asked in sync as they turned and looked at her like she was insane.

“Not her, and not all the way.” Melissa sighed, “we have to get her warm and we don’t have electric blankets, so,” she kind of rolled her hands in a  _ let’s go _ motion. Liam took her from Scott, as Stiles pulled back the blankets, and laid her down gently as Scott toed off his shoes and stripped off his shirt. “Liam, her sweats.”

“Mom?” Scott whined.

“Ah,” Liam stopped dead, “her what?”

“Oh, get out of my way,” Stiles moved forward, pushing Liam from the bed, and robotically removed her shoes, then the sweats that she was in before he tucked the blanket around her and glared at the younger man, “big baby.”

“Scott, get under the covers.” Melissa ordered as she moved towards the closet, taking out every spare blanket she had.

“Mom, she’s not hypothermic!” Scott rolled his eyes, but did exactly what he was told, pulling her close to his chest as Melissa piled the blankets on top of them, “what now?”

“Liam,” her brow went up and Liam adamantly shook his head.

“I’m not getting under the covers with them,” he refused, taking a step back.

“On the bed, above the covers, on her other side, that’s it, we have to keep the warmth in,” she explained quietly, and even with his nerves on edge, he looked over the pale woman in Scott’s arms before slowly edging up to lay behind her. It was like an instant calm came over him the moment he touched her, and Liam gave in, burying his nose in her hair. “Now, stay.”

She pushed Stiles out the door, closing it behind him, which only got the young deputy to turn and eye her accusingly. “You did that on purpose. That’s not how you treat shock.”

“It is when those three are involved,” Melissa sighed and made her way down the stairs. Stiles was so confused, but he wasn’t going to argue, that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to ask.

“Exactly what are they doing then?” She turned towards the kitchen, knowing he was right behind her, and she sighed.

“I’m not going to say I understand this whole mate thing any more than the rest of you, but every emotion on her face was mirrored on Scott’s. He could feel her, anger, guilt, rage, I’ve seen these on him before and I could see the blow up coming, so when she passed out...”

“You’re exploiting their connection?” Stiles accused, and watched her shrug, “you’re a devious woman! What about Liam?”

“He needs his alpha, and his connection to her is just as strong. They all lost Theo, and they’re all going to need each other more right now.” She grabbed the bowl with the bullets and dumped them in the trash. “So, while they're up there chilling out, we need to come up with a plan.”

*****

His scent and heat surrounded her, swirled into every pour, brought out the wolf and while she had no idea where she was, she knew the wolf was in charge. She was running, could feel the give of the forest floor under her paws, the weight of her body as it came down and leapt again. Scott. Scott was close by enough so that he lent his power and the purple haze surrounded her vision, but he wasn’t alone.

Liam. The beta’s warmth was on her skin, the back of her head, right near her neck. That was it, she was lying somewhere close to both, but that didn’t explain the forest, why she was moving, and suddenly, she stopped dead.

She could hear him. His screams echoed through the dark, bouncing off trees, scattering the birds. An owl sounded off to her right and she let the heat signature pinpoint him in the trees, but the next tortured sound had him taking flight. North, it was coming from the north, and that was the way she headed.

Trees cleared, a fence popped up, but that wouldn’t hold her back. She dipped under the bent metal, crouched low on her belly and narrowed her eyes at the industrial building. It wasn't a textile mill, not a warehouse. Her eyes went to the giant pillars just beyond the main part, that once spouted smoke and while she thought she had it on the tip of her tongue, her wolf didn’t need to access that part of her mind. She just wanted to find Theo.

His terrified howl had her trotting down towards the large open building to the east. She could hear it, his racing heart, smell his fear from where she stood, the air was permeated with it, and she let out a growl before she tilted her head back and howled.

She was drawn to him, like an astral projection sailing through the air. The walls didn’t matter, only the path it took to get to him, and when she stopped, she stood in a room, fully human, with nothing in it but a spotlight, a table full of savage blades… and Theo.

His arms were chained above his head, yanked up as far as he could go by the large hook on the end. He was shirtless, shoeless and stood in less than an inch of water, there were electrodes, bloody wet electrodes taped to different parts of his body. His face was bruised, blood leaked from the corners of his mouth, one eye had swollen shut but was slowly healing. Any cuts on his body were light pink scars now. It was the smell of poison that had her eyes trailing down his chest.

There, one on his right side, then again a little further in, closer to his navel, where two bullet holes, both etched with black lines. She remembered Derek saying something about  _ laced with wolfsbane _ and now she was certain. They weren’t torturing him to kill him, no, they were going to let the wolfsbane do that.

He picked his head up suddenly, which elicited a moan, before his lips moved. She heard it though, the way he drew in a breath through his nose before her name slipped out, and he shook his head just like he had at the motel, his eyes taking on a golden hue before the power faded out.

She knew where to find him, and she would come for him. Stepping up, even in this form, was easy enough, and his whole body stiffened against the crackle of energy he felt when she reached a hand out to cup his cheek. Theo let his emotions finally show as a tear slipped from his tightly closed eyes, relishing in whatever her fingers felt like along his skin. Lana leaned in, softly kissed him on his shivering lips and against hers, she felt on word.

“Run,” it was all he got out before the door towards the back of the room swung open, crashing against the concrete wall, reverberating through the empty space, and then she was gone.

Back outside standing on the hilltop, looking down on the building as a scream tore through the night. Lana’s power flared, and she turned heading back into the woods.

*****

Lana sat up in bed, the sudden movement shoved Liam away with a grunt, and a breath punched out of Scott’s body beneath her. She looked around, wide purple eyes scanned the dark room with thermal vision in a panic, but it was the body she had been lying on that had her attention.

Scott reached up, tracing her neck with his fingers, slowly drawing her gaze down. He was lying on his back, which meant she had been using his chest as a pillow, and while she wanted to be mad at the man, his alpha scent had calmed her. Leaning into his touch as he finally pressed his full hand against her face, Lana let the power fade as Liam scoffed.

“I was having a good dream,” he sighed out each word like she had done the worst thing in the world to him and she looked him over. He had flopped down on the bed, hands beside his head, eyes up towards the ceiling as they lit up, a small smile on his face. “She was gorgeous, long blonde hair, barely-there bikini, running towards me in the sand…”

“You were dreaming about a  _ Baywatch _ commercial?” Scott scoffed, his voice low and rough with sleep. Liam’s eyes went wide as he first looked at Lana then Scott.

“What?” Apparently, he didn’t realize that he had described her so breathlessly, “no, it was…”

“A swimwear ad?” Scott teased, and Liam flushed.

“That’s not even a thing,” the younger one huffed, growing frustrated.

“Playboy centerfold,” one last jab had the alpha’s brown eyes locked on Liam’s and a taunting smirk on his face.

“I hate you,” the man deadpanned, drew in a deep breath and looked up at Lana, “I’m…” he stuttered for a moment, “I’m going downstairs for coffee.”

She gave him a small smile as he sat up, curled his hands in her hair and pushed his nose against her head, drawing in deep, taking her scent with him as he bounced from the side of the bed and took off, closing the door behind him.

Lana was a little bit confused, and she let her eyes slide over to Scott, who was eyeing her with uncertainty. “Why did he just do that?”

“Smell you?” Scott chuckled, seeing the curt nod she gave. “He was scenting you, taking in everything he could, wanted to make sure he could find you should anything happen. And Liam’s pretty tactile when it comes to someone he cares about, if you haven’t noticed.”

“I noticed,” Lana sighed, arranged herself on the bed and laid her head back down on his chest, not caring if it was the right thing or not, because she needed this, needed him close. Scott’s arm came up and over her shoulder, pulling her closer, his left hand took hold of the one that lay above his heart.

“I didn’t mean for that argument to get so out of control,” he whispered after a moment of silence, and Lana closed her eyes, tilting her face towards his skin, letting her lips brush over the warmth there, and she shivered at the taste when she settled once again. The movement had made his heart beat just a little faster, his fingers curl against her arm. “I would never tell you what to do. I was afraid.”

“It’s terrifying,” she stared at the mirror across the room, saw when he set his head back on the pillow, nodded only a little bit, but then stared up at the ceiling. “The only packs I’ve been close to are the ones that want something. Yours is so…”

“Crazy?” He smiled, and she could see it, and it was… Scott was beautiful like this, natural as he lay there, wrapped around her, holding her and whatever rejection symptoms she had been feeling faded with one simple realization. This is what she needed; he was what she wanted.

“Different,” was what she replied.

He laughed, “that too.”

“Scott,” she picked her head up, rested her chin on his chest just above his nipple and shivered as his fingers began to play with the ends of her hair, “I had a dream about Theo.” He shifted then, moved up to his elbows, which forced her to sit up, and she did, but one glance down made her snatch the covers from beside her and wrap them around her legs. “Where’s my pants?”

That crooked, sly grin did strange things to her as she watched him flush with color. “Stiles took them off,” and her eyes went wide, but he raised his hand, just to calm her. “My mom was in the room. Your temperature was dropping, she needed to get you warm so,” he gestured down to his own bare chest, “skin to skin.”

“I wasn’t hypothermic,” she snarked and saw the smirk go full grin.

“Yeah, that’s what I said, but I think it was the connection and not so much the body heat,” he shrugged. “We were…” he cleared his throat but didn’t finish his thought and instead changed it to something a little less personal. “Sometimes being close to an alpha will break a beta out of a certain emotional spiral.”

“So, Liam needed you and I was a buffer, which still doesn’t explain the lack of clothing,” she wasn’t going to let him get away with it, she wanted to hear his thoughts on it. Scott glanced away before coming back to meet his eyes.

“I could feel you, feel everything, and Liam wasn’t the only one spiraling. A pack is only at its strongest when we’re all together, but you’re different, your body seems to need a touch, scent. You needed to be close to me, and I needed you.” The humor had faded to the only thing he could be, honest. “I  _ needed _ you, Lana.”

She let those words flow over her before she leaned in slowly, placed her hand on his chest above his heart, and brushed over his lips with hers. It was soft, tentative, but it sparked something, Scott didn’t move, he just tilted his chin up into the kiss. She swallowed hard, before going forwards again, pressing harder as he opened and caught her bottom lip, like a puzzle locking together, just for a moment holding in place before she backed away, her forehead to his, and a purple gaze meeting red.

The room vibrated with shared energy, as they basked in the strange way their body hummed before she slipped back, taking her hand with her.

The bang on the door interrupted the silence and both were shaking from their quiet solitude. Scott rolled his eyes and barked out, “what, Stiles?”

“Missing pack member? Remember?” The man on the other side of the door hollered, and while they hadn’t forgotten Theo, they did remember they weren’t exactly dressed.

Yanking on a pair of jeans that Melissa had left, Lana stopped, holding the fabric just before she buttoned it, and felt the panic set in, the fear and the pain. It was Scott’s hands lightly on her shoulders that shook her from it, making her turn and pivot in his touch.

“I think I know where Theo is.”

*****

Lana’s heart rate quickened as she stared at the picture of the Beacon Hills Power Plant and her whole body shook. Scott’s hand ran across her shoulder blades, as Liam sat back in the chair in front of her, making contact with her fingers that dug into the fabric as the group of them stared at the computer screen.

She had explained everything to them, the dream, the scents, sounds, even the feel of Theo, and they had believed her, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something underneath the ease in which she had tracked him. Stepping back, she twirled around Scott and headed into the kitchen.

Leaning on the counter, she closed her eyes and thought about the feel of the beta’s lips on hers, and it wasn’t sexual, it wasn’t like the overwhelming power that she had when she kissed Scott, it was something different, like she was lending him something, transferring. Healing. She was healing him even in her dreams, but that word against her lips.  _ Run. _ She squeezed tight, trying to get her wolf under control as her claws snapped out, scraping against the counter tops.

“Um, Scott?” Isaac’s voice filled her ears and she knew the beta was close, “you might want to come in here.”

“What’s going on?” Derek’s tone, full of worry stepped up behind her, “oh, Jesus.”

“Lana?” The alpha was right beside her, pressed against her side, hand gliding over hers where she relaxed it on the table.

Her eyes flew open, but she wasn’t staring at the man across the counter, she was looking at the hallway of the building, the one she remembered from her dream. She moved noiselessly through the corridor, but she could hear the men around her.

“What do you see?” Liam whispered from the other side of her, and she focused on the building.

“White, it’s all white,” her voice was low, but no one in that house needed her to be any louder. “There’s doors, most of them only open by a keycard, but I know where I’m going, I can hear him.”

“Find him, Lana,” Mason encouraged, “and tell me everything.” Corey handed him a pen and a blank piece of paper and as Lana talked, her eyes moved over the room, but Isaac, too shocked by how bright the power was, was unable to move, fearing more that it would disturb her than anything. “Okay, does that door in front of you have a number? Something?”

“Four,” she shook, her voice quivering as she spoke, “Four, seven, dash,” she stopped, whipped her head to the right, eyes tracking something. “Theo?”

“The door, Lana, I need those last numbers,” Mason encouraged but he could tell she was barely paying attention.

“Ninety-two,” she breathed out, but she shuffled down the counter, like she was turning around, only Liam’s hands caught her before she could bolt. She could hear the screams again and let her eyes droop shut as the tears began to well up, cascading down her face. “No,” broken, Theo sounded broken, “no, please, I don’t want to hear anymore.”

“Lana,” Derek stepped up, cupping her face in his hands, which got a low growled response from Scott, but even that had her turning towards the alpha, even if she couldn’t get away from Derek, “okay, this is what we’re going to do.” Scott saw the instant Derek’s wolf came through, his voice taking on a light treble, something she blinked at, responded to. “Listen to the sound of my voice, follow it, can you see the echo waves?”

“Yeah,” it was barely a word, but her eyes darted slightly left and right, like she was looking for trouble.

“You’re stepping out of the building; can you see the sun? It’s rising over the hill,” her hands came up, human hands and she wrapped her fingers around Derek’s wrists. “You see the fence, move towards it.”

The pain that howled through the air made her flinch and she whimpered as she jumped, purple flaring once again. Stiles stepped up to the counter, wanting to reach for her but Derek flashed powerful omega blue eyes at the deputy, before shaking his head, warning him.

“Lana, go through the fence,” Derek’s tone became an order as the symbiote in his hands panted through her nose, huffing at him, her eyes darting around. “I know you can hear him but try to keep moving.” A soft noise escaped her again, and Scott squeezed his eyes shut. “Come,” her fingers dug into his as the power faded, “come home to us.” She looked up at him, eye brimming with tears but a human blue as he pulled her in, wrapping his arms around her as a collective sigh filled the air. “We can’t wait,” Derek glared at Scott, “we need to get him out, Argent or not.”

“Okay,” Scott growled, red flared in his eyes, “what are we waiting for.”

*****

So, plans were not as thought out as they could be, but that hadn’t stopped the pack before. Malia was called in, Liam right beside her as they stood where the chain-linked fence curled back, giving them an opening. Lana danced in her wolf form, Derek right beside her and the black wolf turned his blue eyes to Scott. Malia shifted, and while the coyote wasn’t as big as the other two, she was just as fast.

Scott stood tall in the middle of the pack, eyes bright red, searching for heat signatures in the crappy structure, as they all drew on their power. Mason was on the earpieces that each bitten wolf wore, sitting securely in the McCall kitchen ready to lead them through the maze. Stiles let the slide click back on his side arm, catching the attention of everyone there as it echoed through the trees.

“Sorry,” he shrugged, which got an eye roll from Liam.

“It’s go in, get Theo, and get out. Don’t interact with the wolves in there, don’t engage, he’s our only target.” Scott’s voice was low, just loud enough for the wolves to pick it up and Lana danced in her place, spine moving along the tips of Scott’s fingers. “Everyone ready?”

The shifted wolves stilled; all others had eyes on the prize as they suddenly moved. Like a well-oiled machine they were in and around the guards which only set Scott’s hackles up, too easy. Scott glanced at Stiles, who drew the jar from his pocket, before the deputy nodded and disappeared around the corner. Mountain Ash would probably be the worst thing he could do for them, but it would keep the guards at bay at least.

The born wolves moved through the hallways, each taking their own beta, but Scott stuck with Lana, there was no way he could separate. Through her, he could almost feel Theo, and through the blood bond with Liam, he was able to direct the course of his pack. They moved in near silence but the closer they came to that door at the end of the hall, the louder Theo’s pain became.

They had their share of fights, in fact, except for Scott and Lana, the pairs were elbow deep in faceless men who came at them with guns and fists. That’s what unnerved Scott, the lack of shots fired, but he could smell the irritating scent of wet dog, and usually that came from anyone  _ not _ pack. Corey had been right behind them, listening to commands from Mason on how to bypass the room, and as soon as Lana stopped at that door, the card reader flashed green and it ticked open. Scott’s fangs were bared, claws extended as he stood shifted, ready for a fight, but it was Corey’s smug grin that greeted him and his symbiote wolf.

Lana slipped passed as Scott ducked in, the door left slightly ajar for the ones that followed. The three of them moved silently, down along the wall of the room, but Scott stopped dead at the sight before him. Lana held back a whine with the smell of blood filling her nostrils, flaring them out as she shook her head.

He was worse than before, the black veins on his side had spread up his chest, and down across the narrow part of his waist, trailing down below the band of his blood-coated jeans. Lana pranced in place, head low, teeth bared, as Scott crouched beside her, hand on her neck.

They scanned the room, looking for any heat signatures before moving slowly along the wall, Lana’s nose to the ground, Scott’s ears open for signs of the enemy. Once they managed to get close enough, Scott stood, stripped the extra layer off that he had been wearing and held it out as Lana shifted to her human form. She pulled it over her shoulders, buttoned only two to keep it shut and moved on her tiptoes towards Theo.

He was unconscious, or at least too weak to move when she put her hands on his face, tilting his head up to see the damage done. She licked her lips, drew in a deep breath, and listened to the beat of his heart. It was strong, steady despite the pain, and she pushed up to press her nose against the side of his neck. The poison was definitely spreading more on the inside than could be seen.

“Hey, gorgeous,” she cooed into his neck, “you have to open your eyes for me.” She felt him stir, just the faint skip of his heart was the only indication that he was trying to push through the fog. She let her hands move from his cheeks, down over his shoulders to rest on his chest before she started to pull the pain from him. “Come on, Theo.”

“Lana,” Scott’s soft whisper was like a caress against her and the wolf rubbed underneath her skin, wanting out, “don’t wear yourself out, just enough to wake him up.”

“I know,” she spoke softly, light enough to feel her breath bounce back as it hit his skin and Theo jolted. “That’s it, Beta, time to wake.”

“La…” his voice cracked, the rest of her name was lost in his efforts to come fully back to consciousness, before he moaned and tipped his head away, “run.” He struggled against the chains as she yanked off the electrodes that stuck to his skin. “No, just go.”

“I’m not leaving you,” she growled, a low sound that mixed with a whine and he scoffed.

“You always this stubborn?” The smile in his voice was something she needed to hear as he slowly opened his blue eyes, staring down at her.

“You always bullheaded enough to surrender to the enemy?” She snipped, but it was playful. Theo smirked.

“Yet, here you are saving my ass,” he sighed, following her eyes as she looked up at the chains. “What’s your plan for those?”

“Improvising,” she shrugged, looking over at Scott, who stood at the ready, bouncing in place like he was about to kick someone’s ass.

Theo’s eyes widened as Scott started to run full-force at the couple. He jumped five feet from them, sailing through the air as his claws reached out, slicing through the chain-links like they were made of plastic before coming to land on the other side, knees bent, hand to the floor to steady him. 

Theo slumped against Lana, letting her hold as much of his weight as they both watched Scott rise before turning towards them.

Corey appeared at the entrance. “Guys, something’s coming.”

All three stood quiet and listened, the sound of the rest of the pack seemed far away, too far for anything good and Scott moved, making quick work of the cuffs around Theo’s wrists, his red eyes locked on the beta’s.

“You have to shift,” Scott urged, “you have to, or you’re not going to start healing.”

“Scott, I can’t,” Theo sighed as the three of them looked down at the bullet holes, “the wolfsbane is too far in.”

“Okay,” Scott nodded, took a breath and looked down at Lana, “then we have to get you out this way.” He glanced back at the Chameleon, “come on, there’s no need to be here when whatever that is gets through the door.”

Corey raced up to them as Lana turned, letting Scott take Theo’s weight, looping his arm over his shoulder. She moved towards the door on the other side of the room, the one she had come through in her dream, but when she yanked it open, she stopped dead, looking at the man dressed casually in front of her.

Lana stepped back, as Scott bared his fangs, eyes bright red, but the new arrival just ignored him, eyes locked on the symbiote.

“Hello, sister,” he hissed out, his gloved hands wrapped around the grip of a Glock, “I knew you’d come for your beta; you never could leave well enough alone.”

“Jonathan,” her pulse raced as she stared at the wolf before her, born, just like she was, and from the vibrations coming off him, just as powerful. “Why are you doing this? Theo didn’t mean you any harm.”

“ _ Theo _ isn’t my concern,” he glanced up at the two behind her and sneered, “your pet alpha and his dog are just collateral damage, expendable as far as I’m concerned. It’s you I wanted, and I knew you couldn’t leave a pet like that one.” Theo snarled, deep and angry but Jonathan just shrugged him off. “Hush, puppy,” Jonathan’s eyes began to glow a bright orange, “the  _ alphas _ are talking.”

Jonathan raised the gun, aimed it at Theo, but he never got to pull the trigger, Lana shifted, the shirt dropped quietly to the floor as one second she was human, the next a wolf biting down on his arm. Jonathan screamed, a shot fired off, hitting the wall, while the weight of the two of them hit the floor. Lana’s purple eyes flicked up to Scott’s before she shook her head, sinking her teeth deeper and the alpha got the message.

“Mason!” He screamed as he darted past them, Theo in tow, “we need some back-up!”

“They’re on their way,” the voice buzzed on the line and just as Scott moved around the corner, he saw Derek’s black wolf streak by.

Scott closed his eyes, caught his breath and let Theo slump against the wall. “Stay here.”

“No,” Theo reached up, snatching his arm before Scott could go back, “you can’t. He’s not,” a loud howl, something neither wolf nor human escaped the room, but the sick snapping of bones that followed had both men staring wide-eyed as silence filled the space. “Lana?”

“Derek!” Scott’s panicked call echoed down the hallway as both wolves suddenly came racing out.

Corey appeared near Theo, pulling him up from the ground and Scott finally got the clue. They raced for the door, Derek keeping back to cover them as Lana cleared a path. Isaac, Liam, and Malia met them just outside the door as Stiles cleared the Mountain Ash from their route, at least until they were free.

Up past the fence, where they were able to look down on the plant, Corey and Scott slowly lowered Theo to the ground as all three wolves shifted back to human form, their original attire hidden behind a tree. Lana sank down across from him and watched as Liam touched the beta, the urge for physical contact with his anchor was too much to withstand, and she winced as she tried to find a comfortable spot.

Scott looked her over, a small smile on his face as she winked up in his direction. He didn’t ask what happened back in the room, of course he wanted to know, but now wasn’t the time. They need to get Theo treated, and soon.

*****

Stiles stood in the basement, arms crossed and anxious to get out. He hated the basement, not just for the woman in white, but the fact that it always felt like the house was going to fall on him, and with the lights off, he was blind. There weren’t any windows on this side of it, so with the walls, it was just darkness.

“I can feel you from here,” Lana whispered, standing in the doorway as Stiles bit his lip, arms crossed, still staring at his unmoving body as Scott and Derek helped Melissa remove the bullets from Theo. Before it had been something urgent, they needed to see who was bleeding, who needed attention, but with Theo, it was methodical, necessary to take their time. They didn’t know the damage, not with how long the bullets and wolfsbane had been inside him. “Stiles?”

“Hmm?” He quickly looked at her, glanced back once and moved out into the hallways, closing the curtain behind him. He gave her the cheesiest fake grin and placed his hands on his hips, like he was in complete control.

“This isn’t  _ fake it til you make it _ , you’re in a house full of supernaturals, we can feel you,” she smirked as she reached out and touched his hand, “it’s okay to be worried.”

“I’m not worried,” he shrugged, giving a small shake of his head, “I’m under complete control.”

“Your friend is hurt,” she tucked her hands in the back pocket of her jeans and raised a brow.

“Believe it or not, we weren’t always friends,” Stiles slouched back against the wall, worriedly glancing at the curtain. “Hell, there was a point where I would have been good if they ripped him apart, but now,” his gaze went to his folded hands, “I can’t lose him.”

“None of us can,” she reached her hand out, let him take it gently and pulled him towards the stairs. “How’s Lydia?”

“Probably ready to kill me?” his reply was muffled as he watched his feet moving up each step.

“Why not go home, check on her and Allison?” She made their way towards the living room and sank down on the couch, getting him to follow with just a tug, and Stiles looked across the way at Liam, who was blocked in by Mason and Corey, fists tight in his lap as his leg bounced uncontrollably.

“I should, shouldn’t I?” He agreed, but didn’t move, and that was understandable, there was a threat out there that he didn’t know, couldn’t wrap his head around and the prospect of bringing it home sat heavy on his mind. “I should wait though,” he gave a little nod at his own decision, “make sure Theo’s okay.”

“Yeah,” she gave him a soft smile, “definitely.”

Stiles took her hand, held it lightly as he drew in a deep breath before slowly letting it go, and the waiting began.

*****

Sometime early Sunday, before sunrise

Lana’s eyes scanned over the street; a heavy shawl wrapped tightly around her in the “wee hours” of the morning. Inside, the pack slept safely tucked within the walls spelled with protection and lined with mountain ash. She couldn’t step off the porch if she wanted to, only Theo and Corey were able to enter and exit at will, something about their make-up, but Theo was barely awake, still healing from the poison and Corey was too tangled up in Mason to care at the moment.

She could hear Liam’s little whines as nightmares plagued his sleep, but while she should have been by his side, she couldn’t get over the feeling that the house was under watch or the way her brother had howled when they broke his neck, something he would recover from, because she knew for sure he wasn’t dead. With a deep breath, she caught the scent of the man behind her, and repressed as shiver as Scott placed both hands on her shoulders first before he tested the waters of sliding them around to pull her back against him.

His chest was warm, strong, and sturdy at her back, his arms provided the comfort of being held tight, like a child with a weighted blanket, but it was the feel of his lips on her neck, the way he drew her scent into him that let her release the shaky air from her lungs.

“He’s doing okay,” Scott whispered against her skin, “why don’t you come in?”

“You don’t feel it, do you?” Lana’s eyes darted around the darkness, “like a vibration in the air.”

“I do,” he sighed, “I’ve been feeling it since the night I turned.” He kissed her hair, standing straight as he took in the area himself. “It’s the Nemeton, the beacon that draws people like us here. It’s been silent for years though, just a low hum under the surface of your skin. You’re just not used to it.”

“I don’t think I ever will be,” she cleared her throat, turning in his arms until she could put her hands on his chest. Scott smiled down at her, his brown eyes going over her face. “I was wrong.”

“About?” his lips turned up in a small, flirty smirk. Lana took a breath, she hadn’t actually had that conversation with him, she had been arguing with herself and that wasn’t something she was going to come clean about. He caressed her cheek; the back of his fingers soothed the uncertainty in her. “Come inside.”

Lana let herself be led into the room, but she stopped dead when she entered what was once the living room. Couches had been moved, mattresses were brought down and it vaguely looked like the common room of Derek’s loft. Right in the middle was Theo, sleeping peacefully on his side with Liam at his back.

Scott tugged her in, stopping just on the side of the healing beta and he raised his brow as he slowly sank down, moving her towards the inside until she was sitting between them. “Go to sleep.”

Exhaustion hit as soon as he suggested it and while she lay back, eyes scanning over Theo’s pale face, she felt Scott’s arm insistently pulling on her, making her turn on her side so that she could watch the beta while he spooned up against her back. Her eyes grew heavy as she took in his features, Scott’ reassuring form behind her, and she searched for Theo’s hand, letting his fingers curl over her before she drifted off to sleep.

*****

Scott would never get used to the way that Liam, Corey, and Mason were no matter how old they got. Mid-twenties, and the three of them were still figuring ways to act like children, this morning wasn’t any different. It was nearly eleven, a few of the pack were still asleep on the floor, mainly Theo and Lana, who were curled up tightly against each other, not that Scott minded anymore. The night before could have been a lot worse, they could have lost him, so, the alpha was okay if Lana needed a little time to make sure Theo was in one piece.

The other three were sitting at the end of the island, heads together over a hand-drawn map that Liam had scurried up from bed to sketch out not more than an hour before when Derek had made for the door, promising sweets when he returned. Isaac had stolen Derek’s blanket as soon as he had gotten up and cocooned himself in it to make sure no one else grabbed the valuable item and Malia hadn’t bothered to come back to the house.

While she would fight alongside Lana, apparently there was something about the symbiote that set her hairs on end and she preferred to be at the apartment instead of surrounded by the boys. That hadn’t been anything new, not wanting to be around them, it had started after Scott had opened the Rescue. Malia started missing pack meetings, didn’t want to do anything with the group and while Scott knew she had spent a lot of time out on her own, he couldn't see forcing her to come clean.

When mid-afternoon came and the house was cleaned, rearranged, and back in order, the pack seemed to go their separate ways, except for Theo and Liam, they wouldn’t leave the McCall residence without some sort of reassurance that Lana would be safe. However, the need to keep her safe, and actually talking to her were two different things to Theo. He avoided a conversation with her at all costs.

It didn’t take much to find themselves relocated to the west side of the Hale property and a “little” five-bedroom house that belonged to Peter. The oldest member of the Hale pack was gone, having headed out to Argentina as soon as safely possible, which meant as soon as the pack had fallen asleep early Saturday morning, leaving the house up for grabs. Most of the property was wide open land, which was fine with the new residents.

While Scott and Lana opted for separate rooms, the two couldn’t seem to stop the pull to be in each other’s orbits, finding themselves stepping into places where the other happened to be for no reason except to be close. The four of them made dinner, moving oddly through the room as if they had been a pack since the beginning and laughter and talk was light as they surrounded the table.

It wasn’t until later that evening, when Lana stood out on the porch once more, this time looking over the clearing, that thoughts flooded back to the near loss and the fact that Theo hadn’t spoken of it at all.

She was leaning on the rail, her eyes bright purple, focused on the herd of deer at the far end of the property, grazing along the tree line, when she felt him step up behind her. She didn’t move, didn’t flinch a muscle when he stopped and looked her over, but he made the slightest step to leave and she sighed.

“If you’re pissed at me, I wish you would just say so!” the words were just above a breath, and behind her she heard him take one in before he was suddenly standing beside her.

She could feel the anger coming off of him in waves, the chemo signals like a pulse of energy and with a quick glance at him, she could see his claws curled up in his hands. His tone was a low rumble as he replied, “it’s not you.”

“Could have fooled me,” she shifted, put her side to the rail and faced him but Theo still wouldn’t look at her. “Since we woke up, from the  _ moment _ you opened your eyes, you’ve been out of reach, keeping just out of touching distance, giving off a stink that would make most wolves run and hide.”

“But not you,” he huffed, “because you're too stubborn, right?” his brow came up and slowly he focused on her. “I told you to run.”

Lana shook her head, oh, that’s what this was about, “when? That one time you followed me to the motel? Or that moment when you were chained up and dying? That time?”

“And this is why I wasn’t talking to you,” he snapped and pivoted, but her hand gripped his lower arm tight enough for him to whip around, golden eyes fuming. “I was trying to protect you!”

“And I needed you alive,” she snarled, which was just a way to match his fury, not that she was angry. He bared his fangs, rolling his lips back in a feudal effort to get her to let go, but Lana only stepped forward. “You don’t get it, do you?” Theo’s eyes were the only thing that followed her as she got closer, staring down into her powerful gaze as she placed a hand on his chest. “I don’t know where this stupid idea that you’re expendable comes from. Maybe it’s everything in your past with the pack, the Dread Doctors,” and there was a slight twitch of his muscles, “maybe it’s the way they saw you even after you and Liam helped stop the hunters when Monroe first took over, but I will be damned, Theo Raeken, if I’m going to continue to let you think that you are even remotely that for me.”

“And you don’t understand that I don’t want your pity, not for that,” but his fangs blunted, even as that golden hue continued to shine. His fists released and claws retracted but he didn’t make a move to step back or move from her touch. “You’re needed. You’re different and you have to be protected.”

“ _ Bullshit _ !” she howled and pushed at his chest. Theo took a step back, her reaction coming quite unexpectedly. “I have been saving my own ass for over twelve years, Theo, I  _ don’t need _ a protector!” She let her own fangs edge out, blunt ends but still there, showing him that, no, she wasn’t at all helpless, but they faded just as fast, looking into his eyes with her human ones. “I need you; don’t you get that?”

“No,” he was honest, he wasn’t ever going to say he understood it, because he didn’t. “You should have run when I told you to.” He wrapped his fingers around her wrists, slowly slipped them under hers and with a gentleness he only reserved for one or two people… ever, he loosened her grip before he turned to walk into the darkness.

“I love you,” she whispered, and that made him stop dead in his tracks, closing his eyes against the onslaught of emotions. He took a deep breath, back to her and shook his head.

“No, you don’t.”

“Will you  _ please _ stop telling me what I feel,” she waited a second before she huffed and tilted her head back to the sky. “Theo, you’re my friend, more than that, you’re a part of me that I don’t understand.”

“And Scott’s your mate,” he reminded her.

“Yeah, great, I get that too,” she hated being so far away from him and finally decided she didn’t need to be. Stepping up behind him, she placed her hands on his shoulder blades before letting them run down to settle on his hips. “I’m not saying I know everything, but I know I love you and I can’t live with you gone. It felt like my heart was being ripped out of my chest,” and his body stiffened at that, “yeah, I know that you get how that feels, so you know the pain.”

“Lana,” Theo reached down, placing his hands over hers, not sure if he was doing it to remove them, or hold on. “He’s not just a wolf.”

“I know what my brother is, Theo, and I couldn’t care less about him right now,” she snipped, stepping forward to lean her forehead between his shoulders, taking in the scent of  _ home, safe, pack _ and most definitely alive. “I can’t lose you. Do you understand, I can’t go through that again, not knowing if I’d ever be able to touch you again.”

“I do,” he sighed, finally letting her surround him as he took her hands and folded them over his stomach. “I love you,” he whispered, like it was the biggest secret in the world, but she heard it and his heart raced, “but I don’t know what to do with that?”

“We don’t do anything,” she let her nose run up his spine, taking in everything about him, and he let his chin drop to his chest, “we just are.”

“This pack, they saved me, and I love them for it, Liam especially.” Lana smirked, guess while he was on an honest streak, he might as well keep going, “but I do feel expendable, like I could run in and they wouldn’t come find me, I just…” he let his fingers rub over hers, “I don’t know how to handle it.”

Lana slipped around him, never losing his touch as he pulled her into his chest, letting the beat of his heart steady both of them and when she moved up onto her tiptoes, she pressed her forehead to his. It was a bonding moment, something they both needed, and they stayed like that for what felt like forever until Liam let his presence be known.

“You two are so cute,” he snarked, standing in the doorway, arms crossed, leaning against the sill. “Kinda making me feel jealous.”

“You would be,” Theo smirked, opening his eyes to look at his anchor, which got a laugh from Lana. “All the puppy powers and never getting the girl.”

“Screw off, Raeken,” Liam bit back but there was nothing besides laughter in his tone, “besides, I could take you any day.”

“Oh, yeah,” Theo pulled Lana against his side as he turned to face the younger one. “Prove it.”

Liam raised a brow at Lana, who shrugged and back off just as he launched off the door, going right for Theo. Years of practice and coaching had kept Liam in perfect shape, of course keeping up with Theo helped, so when the two of them hit the deck, it shook the house, and Lana just stood back watching as they wrestled around on the ground. The playful tryst turned violent when Theo accidentally elbowed Liam and the two looked at each other in shock.

“I think you broke my nose,” Liam reached up, touching it tenderly.

“Funny,” Theo teased, “didn’t hurt me one bit.”

“Oh, I see,” the other one nodded, sniffing the blood up to see if it was healing right, “then this shouldn’t hurt either.” And that was when Liam brought his fist swinging, catching Theo in the jaw and it started all over again, this time with punches.

“They’re just going to keep going until they’re both worn out,” Scott’s voice whispered softly in her ear as his scent mixed with the blood and sweat of the other two. Lana hadn’t been taken by surprise by his presence, but she had chosen to focus on the two on the floor. “Could be a while.”

“It’s okay,” she smiled up at him, “I don’t mind watching, it makes it real.”

“That he’s home?” Scott placed his hand gently on her lower back and Lana nodded.

“That he’s safe,” she leaned her head against his side, eyes only on the pair as Theo got Liam in a choke-hold.

*****

She was running again, back in the woods, eyes bright with heat vision. She could see everything, knew that she was being followed, but she couldn’t tell by who. There was a flash of a man in an expensive suit, he tugged at his sleeves, one cuff-link missing as he raised his gun, barrel aimed right at her. His eyes were bright, blue, like Derek’s but at the same time not. He didn’t smile when he pulled the trigger.

There wasn’t any noise, not when the flash of gunpowder went off, not as the bullet flew, but the sound of a gasp and the slow tick of a fading heart could be heard as she ran faster, only to come to a dead stop in the clearing with the Nemeton. Theo stood beside the tree, bloody and afraid as Liam stood across from him, eyes golden with power, angry and growling.

_ People can only feel one emotion at a time. _

His claws were out, caught in a half-shift, the closest he could get to his true form, but it was the scent of blood that filled the air that was almost real, and Lana shifted to see why it was spilling over the bark of the tree.

Her eyes widened at the sight, she was lying there, covered in blood, close enough to Liam that she could reach out and touch him, but she wasn’t breathing, her blue eyes were clouded over with the stain of death. To her right, positioned opposite from her, was Scott, his body mimicking hers, their fingers barely touching. His face was slack, the way that only death could make you, and as she looked she felt herself rise higher, high enough to look down at it from above.

They were a sacrifice.

_ “Come back, Lana, come back and this will all be over.” _ His voice echoed through her mind, one she knew well, that she hoped to never hear again and suddenly she was back in her body. She turned swiftly, feeling the enemy behind her and came face to face with him.

“Turret.”

And then she screamed.

*****

Monday Morning

Lana sat up in bed, the room that surrounded her was quiet, unnervingly so. She searched the house, stretching out her senses until she could pinpoint the other three. Liam had taken the room at the end, Theo in the one next to him, Scott’s room was to the right, and the empty bedroom separated the two pairs.

She shook, more from the cooling sweat on her body than from fear. It wasn’t like she hadn’t ever had a prophetic dream before, but this one seemed off. She knew what she was looking at when she stood at the Nemeton. She had seen Lydia’s vision, but what Turret had to do with it, she had no clue, and her brother, that in itself made no sense.

She had made it out into the hallway and halfway down the stairs before she heard the soft sounds of someone in the kitchen. Claws out, the ultimate weapons, she rounded the corner, stepped quietly up to the edge of the island and stared at the strong shoulders of the dark haired man playing with the coffee maker.

“I've just finished making a fresh pot, you want a cup?” Derek’s voice seemed to ease everything in her as she drew in a deep breath, taking in his now obvious scent and letting her body relax.

“What are you doing here?” Lana shifted up to the bar stool and saw the smirk rise up on his face as he turned and slid her the red mug.

“It’s my house,” he winked.

“No, it’s Peter’s,” she teased, reaching for the coffee.

“Okay, well, then let’s just say anchors are finicky creatures, and leave it at that.” The former alpha shrugged, bringing his mug to his lips.

Lana nodded, “Stiles was freaking out and Lydia didn’t want him out all night again?”

“You got it, so here I am, checking on a beta, a chimera, an alpha and his symbiote,” Derek shrugged, as if it were the most normal thing in the world. “So, who’s Turret and why does he have you nearly screaming yourself awake in the middle of the night?”

Lana looked at the clock on the oven, confused at the whole middle of anything because it was five-thirty, and set her sights back on him before she shifted in her seat. “My grandmother’s,” and she actually used air quotes, “bodyguard.”

“Sounds like a fun guy,” Derek’s form of humor wasn’t lost on her. He always sounded so serious, but she was picking up on his worried tone, even if it was hidden under all the sarcasm. “What does he want from you?”

“The same thing as everyone else,” she let it out like it wasn’t anything new, but as she reached for the sugar, Derek took her hand.

“If he’s after you, we need to know.” And that was an order. Lana rolled her eyes and slipped her fingers from his and ran a hand through her hair. “Seriously, Lana, this isn’t a game anymore. Look what happened to Theo.”

Lana growled, meeting his eyes, “I know perfectly well what happened to him, Derek, there’s no need to remind me of my faults.”

“I wasn’t,” he raised his hand, hoping that she would relax before he sighed, “I wasn’t blaming you; I was trying to make a point.”

“Well, point received, alpha,” Lana pushed the chair back, and headed for the living room, only to be stopped by Derek moving to step in front of her.

“Don’t call me that,” he whispered, on the edge of anger. “I haven’t been an alpha in a very long time.”

“Hmm,” she wasn’t sure why she was trying to get under the man’s skin, but something inside her needed to pick a fight, “tell that to Isaac.” His eyes went wide at the mention of his beta. “Omega, evolved, no matter how much you distance yourself from him, or how far you pushed him into Scott’s pack, he’s still  _ your _ beta. And what do they say? Losing one is like losing a limb?”

Derek growled, “are you threatening him?”

“No, I’m just saying, no matter what color your eyes are, Derek, you are still and always have been an alpha.” She bumped into him as she passed. “It’s your choice whether you want to be in that role or not.”

“What’s your problem?” He followed her down the hall and out the back door, under the porch the boys had wrestled on the night before, and out to the field, just far enough away from the house that she could turn on him. Derek saw it the moment her eyes were on him. “Alright,” he yanked on the hem of his shirt, pulling it over his head as he narrowed his own blue eyes at her, a smirk on his face. “I get it.”

“I just need it, Derek,” she did a half shift, more than she normally showed anyone and the omega before her shook his head.

“Then you really should be taking this out on Scott,” it wasn’t a jab, he was trying to make a point.

“Not this way,” he took in her stance, the way she spread her feet, the position of her claws, and then the look in her eyes.

“Sex works just as well as sparring.” He waggled his brows, taunting her, and saw the moment she blush, distracted.

“Can we…” and that was all she got out before he charged, wrapped his arms around her middle and slammed her down to the ground.

“Distracted much?” He grinned, getting to his feet, but then he pulled back and roared, “come one, little alpha, come and get it.”

Lana howled back, a powerful sound that had Derek blinking in distraction, but not enough for the woman to catch him unawares. She charged at him and the rest seemed like a blur of movement and jabs.

*****

Theo stepped up beside Scott, who was standing at the railing, much like Lana had been doing the night before, but this time, he was smiling out at the pair in the grass.

“How long has this been going on for?” Theo looked on, unsure of why Scott hadn’t put an end to it yet.

“About an hour,” Scott shrugged, not taking his eyes off them.

“And you’re not going to stop it?” The alpha turned towards him, a sly smirk on his face and slowly shook his head. “Why?”

“They’re not hurting each other,” but at that moment Derek let out a roar of pain.

“Are you sure?” Theo’s face was etched with worry but that was about the time that Liam came skidding out of the house, barely stopping before he fell over the side. “Relax, little wolf, it’s just Lana and Derek.”

“Are they killing each other? What the hell was that noise? Why are you two just standing here? DO something!” Liam panicked as he grabbed Scott by the shirt. He glanced down at Liam, before raising his brows at Theo. “What?” he glanced between them, “what’s going on?”

“They’re just sparring,” Theo patted him on the shoulder and turned back to watch the match, “and she’s handing him his ass.”

“Maybe it’s time to call them in, I have to open the Rescue today,” Scott’s smile faded, before he glanced at Liam, “and you have class.”

“Practice isn’t for another,” Liam glanced inside at the clock. “Shit, it’s in forty-five minutes!” The beta took off like a bat out of hell, with Theo reluctantly following behind, knowing he was going to have to get dressed and drive him in since there was only one car between them.

Scott sighed, focused on Derek and called out, “we’ve all got to go soon.”

Derek stood, chest heaving as he looked up towards the house and nodded, just in time for Lana to crash into him from the side. Scott heard the breath leave his lungs and the uncharacteristic laugh that echoed through the open field had a wide grin on his face.

*****

Theo parked in front of the Rescue Center, looking away as Scott climbed out, but the alpha’s eyes were locked on Lana. Scott reached out, took her hand gently and let his eyes scan over her quickly before he let out a quick breath and backed away.

“Theo,” Scott’s voice was low, and the chimera had no choice but to look at him, “take care of her.”

“It’s more likely that she’s going to end up taking care of me,” he deadpanned, which got a scoff from Lana and a wide grin from Scott, but he glanced in the rear-view and saw the blush rising on her cheeks, before he turned back to the alpha, “we’ll be fine.”

“I know,” Scott backed off, closing the door. He watched the blue truck pull away before turning to the entrance and unlocking the door. The lock clicked just as a patrol car pulled up. Scott steeled himself and glanced over at the man who got out, a forlorn look on his usually chipper face. “Stiles?”

“Hey, buddy,” the deputy smirked, closing the door after grabbing two coffees from the Bar and Grill. “Thought I forgot about coffee, didn’cha?”

“You, forget coffee,” he pffted and pushed the door open, “that’s like saying you went a minute without thinking about Lydia,” but Scott knew that look, “you did, didn’t you? One minute?”

“Six actually,” Stiles shrugged and handed off the cup. Scott shook his head, flicking on lights as he went, “so where’s your  _ mate _ ?” He ended the word with a long teet sound, trying to tease.

“With Theo at the farm,” he opened the door, checked on the cats, all of which had been taken care of over the weekend by his assistant, then the dogs, who were all very happy to see him, but it was the lack of response from Stiles about how Theo and Liam  _ weren’t _ together that had him look up. The deputy had stopped dead in his tracks, “Stiles?”

“It’s nothing,” there was a minute shrug before the deputy headed off to the small animal ward, but Scott wasn’t convinced.

“What’s going on?”

With a deep breath, Stiles turned and looked at him, biting his cheek. “We have a problem.”


	5. Episode Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emotions are put to the test when Theo and Lana figure out that there's just a bit more than a friend bond going on, that's not to say that it's romantic in any way, but confusion and anger seems to be felt by all. That is until Scott sets the record straight on what exactly is happening between them.
> 
> Stiles lied. To everyone. Which only means one thing. Trouble. So what happens when sudden the pack faces down their current foe? Let's just say that there's a lot of testosterone in that room.

Episode 1x05

Monday Morning

Beacon Hills High School

Liam rushed into his office, with the slamming of lockers, he barely noticed the phone ringing even with his superior hearing, but he made it in time to see Scott’s name on the screen and kicked the door shut with his foot.

Swiping on the way to his ear, he leaned against the desk and caught his breath, “yeah.”

“Liam?” Okay, maybe it wasn’t Scott.

“Stiles?” The blue-eyed beta was just a little bit confused as to why the deputy was on the phone, but this was Beacon Hills and, well… Stiles. “What’s up?”

“Hey, listen, can you come down to the Rescue during lunch? There’s something we have to talk about.” But that didn’t explain... “Scott’s in surgery and might be for a bit, but I really think you need to know this and I’m not entirely comfortable coming down to the school in uniform.”

“I gotcha,” Liam rubbed his forehead and slowly pinched his nose, closing his eyes to drown out the sounds around him. In the back was Scott, his voice muffled, worried, but Liam wasn’t going to call him out on it just yet. “See you at lunchtime.”

With that, he hung up, bit down on his lip and looked around, something was definitely up if Stiles was lying to him. Drawing in a deep breath, he glanced at his watch, put the phone down and grabbed a couple books that he had originally been coming in for before booking it back out the door.

Leaving his cell on the desk.

*****

Lana’s family farm, 11 am

Lana put the truck in park, looked across the pasture at the young man working hard in the middle of it trying to get the old tractor fixed, and smiled. She hopped out, grabbed the cooler and made her way out there, stopping just far enough away to hear him swear and throw a wrench, not that he couldn’t find it, but did he realize he just made his job harder.

He twirled in her direction as she stood upwind, and every emotion fell from his face. Theo stood straight, the way the sun shined off his sweat-soaked skin wasn’t wasted on Lana as she watched him approach, and she shouldn’t be watching, she really shouldn’t. He was beautiful, and not the first one in the pack that she found herself admiring either, but this was Theo, and apparently alright with the blatant ogling of his physique. More than okay with this because a small predatory smirk turned up on his cheeks.

“I can smell you from here,” his low voice tingled up her spine, he had whispered it just loud enough for her ears to pick up, and Lana felt the power shift inside her, eyes glowing bright as Theo stopped no closer than fifteen feet. “Like what you see?”

Lana willed back her wolf, but she could feel it slipping. “Can you put a shirt on?” She clenched her fingers around the handle and saw the moment he really started teasing, as his tongue flicked out, running along his bottom lip, and Lana growled, something deep and  _ not _ playful.

Theo narrowed his eyes at her, focusing on the quickening beat of her heart. “Is it so bad?” He shrugged, like this was a game his own animal wanted to play. The smile fading from his face as he opened his arms, which only made the scent of him so much more powerful, mixed with the sour tinge of body odor from the morning’s workout. He was intoxicating.

Lana closed her eyes, pushing back the need to show her dominance. “No,” and half the word was lost in the way she swallowed it down, “it’s not at all, and that’s,” she stopped, huffed out a breath and finally opened her eyes, powers be damned, “ever seen an alpha get what she wants, mate or not?”

His eyes went wide, this game had suddenly taken a turn, and he quickly moved downwind to stand at her back, watching her shoulders draw back to get a breath of clean air, but she knew he was closer now. Lana flexed her hand, stretching out her fingers before she turned slowly towards him. Neither were going to win this battle because as soon as she moved, Theo was the one catching her scent, wild scents of fall and freedom, and the sweet scent of arousal just underneath it. His eyes flashed gold as he snatched the shirt from his back pocket and yanked it over his head.

“You really need to see Scott about that aggression,” he winked, trying to lessen his own but it did nothing for it, or the symbiote who dropped the cooler and stalked up to him, a low noise in her throat was a warning for him not to move.

Theo closed his eyes the moment her small hand was around his throat, thumb up against his Adam’s apple, the tip of her claw extended, and he went completely still. He felt his fangs drop, his bottom ones elongate, but blunt and nonthreatening. His hands stayed at his side as he let his head tip just a bit, exposing his neck just a little more to the feeling of her nose running along it, unable to help the rumble in his chest when she stopped dead behind his ear and inhaled deeply.

“Oh, God,” it was barely a whisper, but one that signaled when his resolve gave way and he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in to bury his face against her neck. His hand pressed against the small of her back and the other slid up to tangle in her hair, keeping her as close as he could. Lana squeezed her fingers, dug her nails down the soft skin along his spine where she had slipped her hand under his shirt and then paused, panting. It took everything he had not to turn his head and kiss her, but he knew she was feeling the effects of everything that had happened the last few days, and that was his sobering point. This was getting to be too much. He breathed out against her skin, “let go.”

Lana shivered, growled a warning at the beta, but slowly stepped back, purple eyes meeting his gold ones as soon as she was far enough away, and she didn’t stop until there was sufficient space between them for the power to fade.

Her fingers flexed to reach out for him again, the wolf inside nearly scratching to get out, but she shushed her, letting the knowledge that he was close calm her, but it wasn’t enough. “I’m sorry,” she looked away, closing her eyes tightly, trying to remain in control, “I shouldn’t have done that.”

“That makes two of us,” Theo sighed, covering up his shaken nerves with a smirk and false confidence, but Lana saw him for who he was, not what he did to make people believe him. She collected herself, took a deep breath and stepped closer, putting the chimera on edge the moment she moved an inch. “You really think that’s a good idea with what just happened?”

“Good ideas went out the door the moment I stripped down and shifted in front of you,” she gave him a weak smile and reached out her hand, biting down on her lip as he looked from her eyes to the offering. “Come on, Theo, I can’t have you be so far away just because our wolves…” she huffed out in frustration, “I need you.”

There went the last of his resolve because he wasn’t even in the same boat, he was floating under the surface, drowning, and he couldn’t anymore. “I know,” he quickly grabbed her, pulled her closer and pressed his cheek against her hair. The pull that had just been there was all but gone and both seemed to relax under each other’s touch. “I don’t understand what that means.”

“Apparently, she felt frisky,” Lana smiled, pressed her face against his chest and wrapped her arms tighter, feeling the way his did the same until they were both calm. That was, of course, until the phone in the truck started to ring. “Who’s that?”

“My guess, our fearless leader,” he let her go only to jog to the truck and catch the cell before it stopped, sitting down on the passenger’s seat as he observed the way she moved, walking closer as she surveyed the field. “Scott?”

“No, Stiles, sorry,” the deputy’s voice was definitely apologetic but Theo shrugged it off, “listen, can you bring Lana to the Rescue in about an hour, we found some stuff out, and it would be better if the two of you were here in person.”

“Okay,” he was not impressed, nor was he convinced that whatever information they had was important enough to bring them in personally but if Scott asked. “Where is he?”

“Surgery,” Stiles replied bluntly and that sent off more warning bells than anything. “Yeah, some feral dogs attacked one of the horses on the outskirts of the Preserve last night, he’s out at the farm.” Stiles stopped, paused in his story, and muttered something low before he quickly popped back on. “Noon, Theo, bring the girl.”

And then the line went dead.

Lana hopped over the fence, taking in the way that Theo stared down at the phone before he brought his gaze to her.

“What’s wrong?” She whispered, placing the cooler on the floor beside him. Theo shook his head, still looking uncertain, but he let his shoulders rise and fall with confusion.

“Stiles lied,” was all he replied, glancing once more at the phone.

*****

Derek paused mid sit-up, glanced over at the coffee table, and then let his eyes travel along the first floor of the loft. He could hear the heart that beat somewhere in the building but couldn’t pinpoint it.

“Isaac!” He finally gave up on being stealthy, trying to figure out his beta, and when the baby-faced kid peeked over the railing to the library, he sighed. “Your phone is ringing.”

“That’s not mine,” Isaac looked at him as if he were crazy, then backed away into his hiding spot. Derek rolled his eyes, reached over and snatched it from the table, bringing it to his ear.

“What do you want, Stiles?” the omega barked. He wasn’t upset, that was just how he sounded when he answered the phone, and that was what he was sticking with.

“How’d you know it was me?” The confused voice on the line was completely thrown off by the fact that Derek had answered that way.

“Scott always texts first and the only other one that calls from his phone is  _ you _ ,” he didn’t know why he was bothering to explain it, he had done it a half a dozen times before and it still bothered Stiles that he could stump him enough to get the guy to shut up for two seconds. “Now, again, what do you want?”

“Am I interrupting  _ me _ time, Der?” There was a shaky smile in his voice, but the fact that he could practically hear Stiles panicking put him on edge. “Did I catch you with your pants down, big guy?” Now he was going to play it up, and Derek really hated when he did that.

“Your bi is showing, Stiles,” Derek smirked because that  _ always _ got him to shut up.

“Yeah, okay,” not taking the bait this time, he was finally getting it after a decade and a half.

“Wanna try this one more time?” He wasn’t getting frustrated, actually, anything that involved Stiles amused him to no end, but as he pulled himself to his feet, grabbed the towel, and wiped off the sweat from his body, he figured he needed a shower and soon. He was already getting itchy.

“Yeah, yeah... sourwolf,” Stiles huffed, “we need you to come to the Rescue in about an hour.”

“Why? Catch yourself an Oni?” but he knew the reference was not pleasant and he could almost picture Stiles shivering, “sorry,” and it wasn’t like him to apologize either, but he hadn’t honestly meant it to make the man go quiet. “Stiles.”

“Listen, Derek,” and that had Derek at full attention because while it was casual, the times Stiles called him by name with that tone were anything but, “we just need you to come down to the Rescue in an hour, okay?”

“Yeah,” he agreed, quickly making his way towards his room, “anything you say.”

“Good, see you then,” and the line went dead.

Derek yanked on a shirt, stepped out of his room and let his eyes glow bright blue, before he yelled, “Isaac, get your ass in gear, the boys are in trouble.”

His only response was a low groan and a simple, “again?”

*****

It seemed they all had the same idea. Parking just around the corner from the Rescue, Liam smiled wearily as Theo’s pickup and Derek’s Camaro pulled up beside him. He breathed a sigh of relief when Lana slipped out the passenger's side, but he stopped quickly when he was close enough, a small smirk on his face as his cheeks blushed and he took a moment to look back and forth between his best friend and the symbiote.

Theo glanced away, trying his hardest to  _ not  _ hear the rise in Liam’s heartbeat but it was Derek who rolled his eyes at the two of them when he and Isaac stepped closer.

“Scott’s going to kill you both,” the older one sighed, but it was the growl that came from Lana that had all of them looking right at her.

“Scott’s not going to say a damn thing if we don’t get in there and figure out just what the hell is going on,” she snapped, moving forward, but Derek grabbed her arm.

“Now just hold on,” his voice was calm, but Lana could hear the alpha underneath, the same tone of voice he had used that morning, and it brought down the power in her, it was like the wolf  _ liked _ the sound of his voice when he tried to dominate the space between them. He watched the way she perked up and raised a brow. “You can’t go running headlong into a situation that you don’t know anything about.”

“It’s Scott,” her tone was low, and she looked up at him through very dark lashes, giving her a dangerous look, but Derek had seen what she could do, and her posturing didn’t sway him a bit. When he stepped towards her, Liam and Theo automatically responded, but he didn’t reach out, he just hovered above her, expanding his chest, like his peacocking would get him anywhere. “And Stiles.”

Derek huffed out his nose and turned away from her. She knew that would get him. The human was annoying, and a friend, the three of them had been in this together from the beginning but even with all of Derek’s social distancing, Stiles never let him forget where he was from.

“Alright,” he twisted back around and looked over the four of them, Isaac making his silent way towards the group, always observing from the outside. “We need to be quiet, try to sense what’s going on inside before we run in the door. Isaac,” he looked at his beta, “you’re up.”

“I’ve always wanted to be a spy,” the lanky werewolf grinned and took off.

This time, Derek did reach out, smoothing his hands over Lana’s shoulders as he looked at the two boys behind her. “You two, I need you to make your way towards the back, where the loading dock is, there’s always a key.”

“I know where it is,” Liam nodded, glancing up at Theo, whose eyes were locked on Derek’s hands. Liam elbowed him, which caught the chimera’s attention, and Theo rolled his eyes. “Let’s go.”

Theo grumbled out a response, glared at Derek before looking over Lana and disappearing with Liam.

“Little possessive, isn’t he?” Derek smirked leaning in close as he went to walk by, “I thought we talked about the whole ‘ _ sex and Scott _ ’ thing this morning.”

“It wasn’t anything,” Lana sighed, but her eyes were on Theo’s back, the way he flinched at her words, “at least, it didn’t turn into anything.”

“It always means something, Lana,” Derek sighed, “alpha dominance.”

“I don’t want to dominate anyone,” she sighed, sights still on him until he turned the corner, “I don’t know what I want.” Her body shook the further away his heartbeat got, and flashes back to the way he was taken had her eyes flaring a bright purple, she struggled to stand still, until she broke. “I can’t.”

“Shh,” Derek whispered closer to her ear from behind and Lana swallowed back the fear, steadying herself with the wolf at her back, “Liam has him, they’ll both be fine. Keep that fear locked down. They know the Rescue, they know how to get in, and out, unseen.”

“It’s too much,” the purple faded to a deep red, fury growing in them as Derek wrapped his arms around her, holding her in place as her claws dug into her own palms.

“Breathe,” he sighed, expanding his lungs taking in her scent, letting out everything calming, and she snarled at him, but Derek laughed, “you’re not going to scare me, little alpha, just follow me, and we’ll get this show on the road.” He was laughing! Laughing and… breathing, Lana locked onto the rhythm, her hearing focused on the beat of his heart and slowly she relaxed against him. “That’s it,” he pushed back her hair, letting her feel the warmth of his cheek against her skin, “let it go.”

That was when she went stiff in his arms, and Derek’s eyes went right to the building. “Wait,” she gasped. There, just above the tick of his heart was another noise, something not as loud. “It’s a pencil.”

“More like an eraser,” Derek closed his eyes, drew his head back and concentrated on the noise. “Morse code,” he whispered, “it’s Stiles.” Derek took her hand, moving away from her. He didn’t have time to make sure she was done with her meltdown, because what Stiles was tapping out wasn’t good at all. “Come on.”

They moved around the building; ears trained on the heartbeats of the wolves in their pack.

*****

Theo could hear the chaotic beat of her heart and his own ramped up, which caught the attention of Liam, who stopped, spinning in his spot before Theo could make any other moves. The blue-eyed beta grabbed him by the shirt, two fistfuls of fabric and jacked him up against the wall. Theo rolled his eyes, letting him have his moment as he raised his hands in surrender.

“What the hell is going on with you?” The younger one snarled, but Theo only shook his head, lips locked because he didn’t have a damn clue. “You’re being reckless and stupid, and not just with her.”

“Liam,” he let his eyes drift shut as the man before him yanked him just an inch off the wall before shoving him back again, “stop.”

“Did you sleep with her?” It was expected but not at the same time and Theo shook his head, scoffing at his friend.

“What? No,” Theo huffed as he slammed him against the wall again. He wanted to explain, but the more his anchor ramped up, the more Theo felt it, and he reached out suddenly and grabbed the lapel of Liam’s coat, eyes bright. “I didn’t hurt her, I would never…” he snarled out, “Now back off and let me go.”

“I can smell you on her, Theo,” but he wasn’t sure what Liam was more upset over, the prospect that they had done something or that they had betrayed Scott.

“Listen,” Theo purposely calmed himself, taking in long breaths. “Nothing happened, we both got… the emotions were high, and our wolves reacted but we didn’t  _ do _ anything.” Liam was staring at him, locking their gazes, looking for something, and all at once, he stepped away. With a slow exhale, Theo ran a hand through his hair and relaxed back against the wall, but while he had let Liam go when the power died in his eyes, he reached out again and snagged his coat as the beta paced. Liam’s lips drew back, and he stopped dead, challenging the chimera. “I know you’re upset that Scott and Stiles are in there, but this isn’t going to help, and taking it out on me isn’t either.”

Liam put his hands on his hips, ducked his head, chastised, and nodded. It was amazing that after all these years, Liam still had an issue with that explosive disorder, and that with just a touch, simple words, Theo was able to bring him back from the edge. “I’m trying.”

“He’s your alpha, Liam, this isn’t going to be easy, but just focus on me, okay?” Theo watched as he took a deep breath, tried everything to calm his wolf and then nodded gain. “Come on, let’s get in there and see what we’re up against.”

“Wait,” he reached out and placed his hand against Theo’s chest, shaking his head. “How are we going to tell Derek and Lana what’s going on if the two of us are already inside?” That was when they heard it, the safeties being switched off, and both turned, looking at the few armed men behind them.

“Doesn’t look like that will be a problem,” Theo whispered, but he reached out with his senses, pinpointing Derek and Lana himself and he sighed.

This was probably the worst plan ever.

Slowly, both men raised their hands, just as the door opened, and Isaac winked at him.

Okay, maybe not the worst.

*****

Derek sat listening, waiting for that little sign that Isaac had made it in, and it came just as he predicted. The sounds of bodies falling was what gave it away and quickly he turned to Lana, full shifting as the woman rolled her eyes. She hated being naked when she shifted back. It was always too cold.

Trotting along behind the building, they managed to find the door that the three others had disappeared into and Derek caught the edges with his claws, pulling it open wide enough for the two of them to make it through.

Once inside, they made their way past the room with the dogs, who oddly enough managed to stay quiet, and into the scrub room, where both shifted back and stole the clean scrubs from the hangers. Lana’s nose crinkled as the smell, getting a small smirk from Derek, before he lifted them to his own and shook his head. The chemicals were almost too much for their sensitive noses but that was the only way.

Derek glanced up at her as he pulled the tie tightly on the pants and watched how she blushed, quickly looking away. He stepped up behind her, leaning down close to her ear.

“You know you’re not as subtle as you think,” he waited for her to tug the shirt down and turn towards him, her eyes radiating powers. “Ah, there you are.”

“Back off,” she threatened through clenched teeth and Derek took one step back, giving them both breathing room.

“You still smell like him, and you’re still feeling the effects,” his voice was low, strictly between the two of them and Lana shook her head. “What’s between you and Theo?”

“Drop it, please,” she shook her head, letting the power go and Derek nodded. “It’s nothing.”

“It’s not nothing, Lana,” Derek narrowed his eyes, there was something about her sudden response to every male in the pack, he just needed a little time, but he wasn’t going to tell her any of it. Instead, he gave her an aggravated huff and a quick glance. “I think you definitely need to figure it out,” he grabbed the shirt he had pulled from the hanger, slipped it on and gestured towards the door, “come on, let’s go save the day.”

Lana let her eyes roll as she followed him quietly out into the hallway once again. It was quiet, way too quiet, and she concentrated on hearing the heartbeats in the room. There were two too many, and she paused, taking Derek by the arm as she closed her eyes.

“It’s not them,” and he looked at her as if she were insane, “listen.” She paused just long enough for him to catch the beats, “Scott has a nervous tick, one that happens every time he gets angry, excited, happy, three beats and then a skip, like his heart is racing to keep up. Theo’s is steady, like an engine, and Liam’s sometimes goes like a roller coaster, not always fast, but like it’s climbing.”

“And you know all of this because…” Derek didn’t want to admit that she was right. He had heard it over the years, gotten good at spotting his packmates but he never noticed Scott’s.

“It’s not them.” She repeated just as she made a pained, confused face and took a deep breath, slouching forward towards him.

“Lana?” He grabbed her by the shoulders, as she moved to reach around the back of her head. He did it for her, yanking the dart from the back of her right shoulder, and he held it up. Wolfsbane. Growling, he scooped her up and moved, ducking and weaving through the rescue until he was able to maneuver into a small room. “Shit! Shit, shit, shit!”

“Derek,” her voice was barely there, the poison already flowing through her. She’d be out before he could get her somewhere safe. He popped the back panel, opening a small passageway, and slowly lowered her to the ground. “No, don’t.”

“Lana, I have to,” he cupped her face in his hands as she fought to keep her eyes open “I want you to listen to me,” but she was fading, he patted her cheek roughly, getting her to open her eyes, “hey, right here, look at me.” She smiled at the sound of his voice, which only got him to shake his head. “When you wake up, you go down that tunnel, follow it, it will take you out to the edge of the Preserve and you stay put!” He snapped, and that got a rise from her wolf, who flashed purple at him, “yeah, you defiant little alpha, you stay put and you wait for a signal.”

“You’re going to get caught,” it was mumbled but Derek understood it completely.

“That’s the plan, but don’t you dare come after us.” She snorted at him, trying to push his hands away. “Lana, promise me.”

“You know I can’t,” she sighed, fighting the poison, and he watched the moment it won.

“God _ dammit _ !” Derek whispered, took a moment to control himself before he pressed his forehead to hers, and reluctantly left her behind, closing the panel tightly before he moved multiple five gallon buckets in front it, effectively hiding it before he moved out quietly.

She was right, those people in this building weren’t his pack, but Derek was pissed and that wasn’t good for them.

*****

The noise is what shook her from the drug, that and the high metabolic rate in which the wolf inside her burned it off. Wolfsbane wasn’t pleasant at all, in fact it hurt, but the fact that there weren’t one but two wolves inside her amped up her regeneration process more than any alpha she had ever met.

But the noise, Derek fighting with everything he had on the other side of the panel was what really shook her from the daze. She was sitting in pitch black, the smell of musty old tunnels surrounded her and while she was still in a haze, she could remember the words he had spoken as she fought the drug.

_ “You go down that tunnel, follow it, it will take you out to the edge of the Preserve and you stay put!” _

“Fat chance,” she mumbled, pushing her way to her feet as she braced herself on the wall.

Behind the door, she took in the growls, the pained hits he took, but she knew the moment he was overthrown because everything stopped. With a few panting breaths, Lana pushed away from the wall and began the stumbling hike through the small tunnels.

She moved for what seemed like hours before she found herself at a grate deep in the Preserve, and it took surprisingly little effort to push it open. Someone made sure that the hinges were well oiled, and that maintenance was definitely handled. With a deep breath, she stepped out into the forest, the sun was setting, giving it an eerie red hue, and the fog from the warm day was already rising through the trees. It wouldn’t be good to get lost in it.

She stood, her back against the rough bark of the tree and closed her eyes. While the last of the wolfsbane had disappeared a long time before, the effects of the tranquilizers hadn’t quite worn off. Lana drew in a deep breath, hoping to find her location, and caught the light scent of Stiles, Derek, and death. She knew just where she was.

Moving north, she headed towards the old Hale property, only stopping along the way to take water from a few streams. She needed to keep hydrated, and that was the problem with the drug, and the wolf, she ran too warm. Once she stepped out to the tree line, she ran into the same problem she had that first day, her wolf didn’t want her to cross it.

The scent was still there, faded more this time, but present and she closed her eyes, taking it in. She didn’t have a phone, she was all alone in the woods, and there was only one way to call the rest of the pack.

Lana looked up at the sky, the way it cleared of clouds just as she let out a low, mournful howl, loud enough to shake the birds from their nests, but quiet enough that only those connected would hear her.

*****

Corey looked up from the book in front of him, and let his ears tune into the hum that called out to him. He shouldn’t have been able to hear it, the only alpha he had ever heard before was Scott, not even Theo caught his radar, but he turned, stepped closer to the windows in Derek’s loft and looked over the town, eyes focusing on the Preserve.

“Hey,” Mason whispered, coming up behind him. He placed a hand gently on Corey’s shoulder, not wanting to spook him, “you okay?”

“I think I just heard Lana,” the chameleon spoke softly, narrowing his sight, on the trees beyond the town lines. “No,” he listened closer as her call went out again, “no, I know I did.”

“What is it?” Corey only shook his head in confusion.

“She’s alone, and something’s wrong,” he moved away from the window, grabbed his coat of the chair and looked at Mason. “Are you coming?”

Mason’s smile was evil, well not so much in the Disney villain kind of way, but definitely ready for a fight. “Hell, yes.”

He ran up, grabbed his jacket and followed the chimera out the door.

*****

Theo fought against the restraints. You would think he’d be used to this by now. Captured again, yay! But no, he was pissed. His hands were tied with zip-ties, one of his least favorite things, he could feel the low level of electricity running through his body, which just zapped his strength. It didn't keep him from shifting, but it was the chill that ran through his body that was the most annoying thing. Wherever they were, it was cold, and getting colder.

Scott moaned beside him, bringing his head up from his chests as he blinked aside the grogginess, and as soon as he was focused, he yanked on the arms of the metal chair, which made Theo smirk and shake his head. They always had the same reaction.

Liam wasn’t in full-panic mode, he was more annoyed than anything. Or, more to the point, he was angry and when the little IED went off, it was usually loud and destructive, but Liam couldn’t go far with the chains wrapped around his arms, holding him to the fencing.

Derek let his head roll back, bright blue eyes scanning the area, probably the calmest Theo had ever seen, but this was Derek and probably something he was used to, until he spotted Isaac. The blood on the beta’s face set Derek off in a strange way, and the former alpha was suddenly roaring.

“Shut up!” Stiles groaned, his voice shaky from the cold. That had Theo just a bit more worried than he wanted to be. Stiles was human, he didn’t have the body temperature of the rest of them, and Theo could already see his lips turning just a little blue. “You’re going to attract attention, asshole.”

“Screw off, Stiles,” the omega growled, but then Theo saw what was going on, Stiles was baiting him. “You lied.”

“Yeah, and what did you want me to do? Huh? They had Scott at knifepoint,” he heard the way that Stiles’ heart skipped and narrowed his eyes at Liam, who had his sights locked on Theo, but the chimera just shook his head, nodding curtly in Scott’s direction. Liam gave him a face, one of  _ what the hell _ but the moment he looked at Scott, his eyes went wide, watching the slight movement of Scott’s hand. “Don’t be a dick, this wasn’t my fault.”

“No, not at all, right?” Derek snarked, “I’m sure it wasn’t you that just let them in the front door.”

Scott’s claw was digging at the zip-tie, and Theo knew what he had to do. “Hey, wanna cut the shit, seriously, this isn’t time for the two of you to start puffing up.”

“Bite me, you little bastard,” Stiles caught his eyes, the pain of insulting him was right there, but Theo only gave his trademark glare, smirked, and shook it off.

“Little bastard, huh?” he laughed and huffed, “should have known you’d pull something like this. How long have you been holding onto that one?”

“You mean that fact that you’re some kind of abomination?” Stiles barked back, and ow, that one actually stung. “A long time, pal, just waiting for the moment to throw it out there. You really think she wants you?” Okay, that was kind of a low blow, but Theo licked his lips, hiding his sudden anger with a smile, and rolled his eyes. “Oh, oh you do. That’s classic.”

“Go to hell,” he replied calmly, there was a light snap, something that was covered up by their bickering, but he had heard it clearly. Scott was free… for the most part. “What about you, Stiles? New girl rolls into town, and you do everything in your power to stick around. Getting tired of things at home?”

“When I get out of here, I’m gonna cut out your tongue,” Stiles spat, but Theo could almost see the heat building in him. He had stopped shivering and his core temperature was rising. The smile fell from Theo’s face, the deputy really was mad, and with a slight shake of his head, Theo tried to apologize. “You don’t know what you’re doing, do you?”

“What the hell are you talking about?” he glanced from Stiles to Derek, who was still twisting at the ties, but when he went back to Stiles, the man had raised his brow, just enough to catch his attention before his eyes shifted to the ties around his wrist. Theo gave it a slight tug, in his frustration, he had somehow stretched it, and that was awesome. He glared at Stiles. “Oh, right, I get it, you think I’m going after her? Think I’m playing with her emotions? Leading her on?”

“You certainly smell like it,” and this was from Scott. Theo swallowed, turned in his direction, and saw the blaze of red from under Scott’s hair where it had fallen in his face.

“I can explain,” was what slipped from his mouth.

“No,” he growled deep, “you really can’t.”

The red faded as quickly as it came when the lock on the door slid back and Theo felt his heart nearly stop. Jonathan stepped in, a long stun baton in hand, and two men behind him with shotguns, but it was the cruel smile on his face, and the bright orange of his power seemed to light up the room. Scott roared; fangs bared.

“Down, doggy,” he pushed the button, lighting the baton up with electricity. Scott glared at it. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d had that used on him, wouldn’t even have been the highest current he’s had racing through him either, but he wasn’t going to test the psycho. Jonathan crouched down in front of Scott and grinned. “Where’s my sister, Scott?”

“I don’t know,” he growled out between clenched teeth.

Jonathan smiled and shook his head. “Oh, now we both know that’s a lie.” He stood straight and stuck the end of the baton quickly against Scott’s stomach, pressing the button hard as Scott screamed out the pain. Liam roared in response which caught Jonathan’s attention. “Well, now here’s a new one.”

“No!” Theo panicked as Jonathan moved up towards the beta, ignoring everyone else, that was until he was standing right in front of the brown-haired man. “Leave him alone.”

Jonathan cast his eyes in Theo’s direction, giving him a sultry grin as he took in the way Theo was stretched out across the fence, arms tied back. He reached out for Liam though, running a hand through the wet hair of Scott’s first, before he yanked it back, holding Liam’s head to the grate, even as his eyes stayed on Theo’s.

“Think, Theo, think of all the fun we had,” and the chimera’s heart started to race, “do you think your little beta would be able to take it just like you did?” Theo’s face paled as the memories came flying to the surface, it wasn’t just knives and pain, and that’s what set off the rage in him. Jonathan was a sadistic asshole. There was no way he was letting him touch Liam. Pushing aside the fear, Theo roared at him, which only made the wolf beside him smile wider. “Oh, are you asking me to play with you again? I did enjoy our time.”

“Get away from him!” Scott’s deep voice reverberated through the room, and Jonathan’s smile faded as he turned towards the alpha.

“Then tell me where my sister is!” He shoved the baton right into Liam’s chest, zapping the beta until his eyes fell shut. Derek moved, thrashing against his bonds but he wasn’t getting any closer to their youngest member.

“Stop!” Theo screamed above the noise of his anchor, his breath giving out the moment Liam fell silent. “I’ll tell you.”

“Theo!” Stiles begged, “no, don’t.”

“I have to,” Theo apologized, but his pleading eyes went from Stiles to Scott, “I can’t let him hurt him, not like that. Scott, I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay, Theo,” the alpha’s voice was quiet, tender and Theo could feel the tears in his eyes for what he was about to do next. He let his lids droop shut, let the strange calm that Scott provided wash over his body, and the words of his alpha sing in his ear, just as a small snap filled his ears. “It’s going to be alright. It’s okay.”

And for a moment, he held his breath.

*****

The car pulled up as Lana rounded the tree. The windows were down, so the scent of the two in the vehicle gave away before they even entered the clearing, but Mason still raced from the driver’s side once it was parked and wrapped her in a tight embrace.

“I’m sorry, Mason, I lost them,” she begged him to understand, but the man was just shaking his head.

“No,” he sighed, hand going to the back of her hair, “no, you didn’t. We’ve got them. It’s okay, Lana.”

“You got them?” she stepped away, “what does that mean?”

“We know where they are,” Corey whispered, a smile in his voice as Lana glanced between them. “You might not know this, but we get this quite a lot.”

“You get kidnapped…” she was utterly confused, “a lot?” Well, she should have figured that out by then, she guessed, especially with the whole Theo thing, but to hear them admit it was just… it was weird. “So, this is a thing for your pack? Danger, kidnapping, officially off their rocker serial killers?”

“Mass murder, technically,” Mason shrugged, like it wasn’t anything new, “he killed that battalion all in one night, so…”

“I don’t think I want to know,” she blinked, as Mason took her hand and led her to the car.

“Anyway, it got to the point that we needed a way to track the member of the pack,” he explained as they got in and moved down the roar, like this was some sort of field trip, “so we equipped each one with a subtle tracking device.”

“You chipped them?” and while it probably was the best defense, Lana just found it amusing in the most horrible way possible that  _ wolves _ were chipped.

“In a sense, yes,” Mason sighed, but that didn’t make much sense.

“Wait, if you did, what happened with Theo? Why couldn’t you find him?” Lana shifted forward in the car, eyes glaring at the driver.

“He was at a power plant, the signals there are so high that it messed with the communication of the chip to the tracker, we couldn’t find him because it basically made the chip’s signal null and void.”

Lana crossed her arms, rolled her eyes and looked out the window just as they pulled in next to Theo’s truck. “What are we doing here?”

“Well, you might not want to go into the warehouse barefoot,” Corey glanced down at her feet.

Lana took a deep breath, slipped out and moved towards the back of the pickup where she and Derek had hid their clothes. Yanking on the socks, then tugging on her boots, she made her way back to the car, not even bothering to change the scrubs. Once she was back in the car, the three of them headed off towards the denser side of town, one that housed the industrial district, and Derek’s loft.

Lana slipped out of the car as soon as it came to a stop and leaned in, looking at the two of them. “Okay, what are you two going to do?”

“Well, Corey’s going to help you get in, and I’m going to stay here and wait for backup.” Mason smiled that contagious grin that Lana was growing fond of.

“You called Argent,” she let the feel of the smile on her lips settle her, as Mason gave her a little half shrug.

“Among others,” he winked, and looked up as Corey stepped around the car. “Be safe.”

“Will do,” she whispered as Corey leaned his head in, giving Mason what looked like a dirty kiss, but it was the scent that made Lana sneeze. They were way too in love to be next to a bunch of soft nosed werewolves.

Corey grabbed her hand, and slowly she disappeared. It was weird seeing the view from the chameleon’s, the way the light around them shifted, like her heat vision but green, and they made their way through the building as if they weren’t even there.

*****

Theo was stalling, that much was perfectly obvious, at least to Derek, but Scott seemed to be waiting, just for the right moment. Jonathan, getting impatient with the chimera, was anything but nice as he jabbed not only the baton against his wet skin, but also pulled out a pocket knife, something Theo wasn’t expecting.

The first slice through his shirt deep into his skin sent the chimera screaming, but it didn’t stop the psycho before him.

“Tell me where my sister is,” Jonathan leaned in, his mouth right next to Theo’s ear, “and I won’t gut your friends.”

“Okay,” Theo stumbled, “okay.” He had let his head drop, chin to his chest, but he could hear it, the quiet, steady thump of a heart as he slowly picked it up, raising his eyes to the man before him, and he let a smile creep up on his lips. “She’s right there.”

The roar from the doorway shook the room, and Jonathan whipped around, dropping the baton as he looked over the petite woman who stood there, claws out, fangs showing covered in blood, and the bright light of her power had once again turned a deeper red.

“Sister,” Jonathan smiled, but Lana wasn’t holding back. She raged and moved swiftly through the room, leaping at the man before her, claws at his neck as she got the upper hand. If she didn’t want to be moved, she had that strength to make herself stone.

Scott’s howl echoed hers, the alpha quickly got to his feet, breaking the bonds that held him as he ripped them away. Within moments, he was cutting Stiles free, and both moved onto the rest of the pack. The alpha’s hold on Theo’s shoulder was powerful and the blue-eyed chimera ripped his gaze away from the fight.

“Get Liam out of here,” Scott ordered, but Theo hesitated, going from him to the symbiote before coming back, pleading. “I’ve got her, Theo, I do, and I need you to take care of him.”

“Yeah,” but that didn’t stop the fear from building. Theo scooped the unconscious man into his arms, but huffed out a breath, gathering his strength. He never knew someone so small could pack so much weight, Liam was solid. With Isaac in front, Corey in the lead, and Stiles not far behind the four of them made their way out of the building with the unconscious beta. Once Liam was down, safely packed in the back of Mason’s car, he turned to go back in, but Stiles grabbed his arm. “Let me go.”

“Sorry, toots, I have orders to keep you out here,” the human’s voice was light, trying to keep the edge off the worry that filled it. “Scott needs you out here, we all know how Liam gets when he wakes up from stuff like this. You’re needed here.”

“Lana,” was Theo’s only bargaining chip.

“Why don’t you let the alphas take care of the alpha,” Stiles patted him on the shoulder. “He’s got her, nothing’s going to happen.”

“Ugh!” Liam rumbled, “what the hell!” 

That had Theo by his side in an instant.

****

The fight raged, Lana took swipes as good as she got but that didn’t mean her ears and eyes weren’t on the pack behind her. Derek and Scott were handling their own guards without much fuss, and it wasn’t until Jonathan got the upper hand, which meant wolfsbane-laced claws deep in her stomach, that Scott turned his full attention on the born wolf.

Jonathan pinned her to the floor, strength ebbing from the wounds, and his bright orange eyes were locked on hers.

“What the hell are you?” she groaned but didn’t break the stare.

“Don’t you know, sister, you’re not the only symbiote in this world,” Jonathan smiled, his eyes flicking like a lizard before she began to feel the effects of the paralytic in her veins.

“Kanima,” she took a shaky breath, like her lungs were shutting down but her eyes matched his, the red becoming more pronounced. “I should have known you’d be some kind of snake. Who’s your master?”

“I don’t have one?” Jonathan dug deeper, moving in so he could twist those claws deep. Lana arched up in pain, felt him hit something deep, but she laughed.

“You can’t bullshit me, brother, every kanima seeks a master,” she chuckled. “I know the Chasseurs don’t believe in symbiotes, so why would they keep you?”

“Oh, I don’t work for them,” Jonathan smiled, it was evil, dripping with death and destruction, and it only made her heart skip, “in fact, they don’t exist anymore.” He leaned down right to her ear and whispered, “I killed them all.”

And suddenly, he was flying across the room. Lana listened to the sound of bones breaking as Jonathan hit the wall, and above her stood the red-eyed alpha, chest heaving, eyes on every other person in the room as he stood protectively above her.

Lana shifted as much as she could, igniting the wolf, burning off the venom. It was unheard of mostly, but she wasn’t exactly a normal werewolf, she was something different, and just like the wolfsbane, there were things that didn’t stay in her system long.

With a shaky hand, she reached up for him, and Scott blinked, like he was seeing her for the first time. There was apprehension in his movements as he slowly crouched down, tilted his head just a bit, and took her in, then cautiously, he slipped both hands under her arms and lifted her to her feet.

Lana caught her breath, feeling everything right down to her toes as her body sprang back to life, but the first things she felt was the way his arms were tightly around her, and his eyes as he took in her face, the way they flicked to her lips, and Lana swallowed. Her sense of smell came back online and suddenly she was surrounded by him. Anger, no… rage, worry, fear, lust… it always came after a battle, but this was closer to home, especially when he wrapped his arms around her, one sliding up her back to tangle in her hair as he buried his face against his neck, a low groan, that turned possessive rolled through his chest, and Lana sighed against him.

Scott’s deep breaths sent goosebumps through her body and she shivered, lowering her mouth to the bare skin of the curve of his neck and the fingers tightened in her hair even as her eyes fell on Derek, who was chaining Jonathan to the fence. She could feel his claws, and the light scratch against her skin, as he fought for control, and she moved the hands that she had unknowingly been using to hold tight to his shirt, running them up his chest to cup his face, taking him away from her pulse points.

He glared down at her, bright red and nearly vicious, but slowly she leaned in, brushing her lips against his, the pinch of the tips of his claws only drew out a sigh. He was real, he was alive and unharmed, and the scent of  _ mine _ filled the air. Lana pressed harder, waiting for his response before the alpha took charge.

His kiss was bruising, hot and needed as he placed a hand on her cheek, sliding it down to cup her chin, making her move the way he  _ wanted _ . Lana had never felt so owned, and inside her two wolves warred, one wanting it, the other fighting against it. She slipped up, gripped the barely long enough hairs on the back of his head and yanked, getting a growl from the man, but he backed off enough that she was able to soften the kiss before pulling completely away.

Scott looked her over, the confusion evident in the way his brow furrowed, but he didn’t have time for whatever was running through his head. They had to go. He took her hand, ran his thumb down her cheek and turned, to see Derek standing there with his arms crossed and a brow cocked, in an  _ are you done _ ? fashion, which only got Scott to smile before the three of them made their way out of the building.

*****

“That was completely counterproductive,” Stiles whined later that evening as they sat around the loft. Argent had shown up just as they made it out the door, so he took it upon himself to round up the bad guys, and probably take them to the hospital with the amount of blood on Lana. Scott leaned against the wall, guarding the bathroom hall, his arms crossed, chin to his chest, thinking, but Stiles could never let that be. He slapped Scott on the arm, grabbing his attention. “Hey, you okay?”

“Yeah,” Scott sighed, glancing down the hallways before looking over at a pacing Theo, one who was being watched carefully by Liam, and by carefully, he meant not taking his eyes off the guy. Scott shook his head and wondered if Liam ever got seasick from it. “What did he mean? Jonathan? How’d he hurt him?”

“You really wanna ask a chimera, one who was hellbent on killing you, just how Lana’s psycho brother toyed with him?” Stiles was always the one to bring out the whole  _ very bad idea _ thread when it came to any of Scott’s topics of conversation. “Listen,” he patted Scott on the chest, stepping closer. “Let’s just let sleeping dogs lie and move on to a bigger threat. We didn’t kill Jonathan, and the dude is a kanima symbiote, what the hell is that?”

“Probably just like Lana but not a wolf,” Stiles rolled his eyes, huffing as the door down the hall opened and she stepped out of the steam.

Theo paused in his pacing, which caught the attention of Liam, who slipped off the desk to grab his friend by the arm, but Scott knew exactly where the beta was and just how he would react. They hadn’t let the two even see each other at the warehouse, in fact when they arrived back at the loft, Scott stopped him from following her into the bathroom.  _ He _ needed time, and knew just how protective Theo could be, but he couldn’t shake the scent on their skins, the strong combined scent of both.

“Lana,” Derek whispered, pushing past the alpha and his human counterpart. The two glanced from Derek to each other, confusion written on their faces as she stopped at the end of the hall, arms crossed over her chest as her wet hair tumbled down over her shoulders. Derek took a breath before he pulled her into his arms, resting his head on hers. “I need to see them.”

“It’s not that bad,” she shook her head, stepping back from him before she moved passed him and up through the hallway, giving Scott a small smile before she headed towards the couch. The omega quickly caught up, which definitely got Stiles and Scott involved as they watched him take her arm and turn her in his direction. “It’s fine, please drop it.”

“No one comes out of a kanima attack that fast, Lana, trust me, I know,” he whispered softly, slouching his shoulder to make himself smaller just so he could keep eye contact. “His claws smelled like something else.”

“Um, gross,” Stiles chimed in, which got Derek to roll his head in the direction of the man, before scowling at him. “What? It’s very unhygienic to put anything on your claws before you stab someone with them. That’s just disgusting.”

“Stiles,” Scott chastised, giving him a small shake of his head, but he knew the sarcasm was a Stilinski trait for dealing with stress.

“Lana, look at me,” Derek sighed, pleading, and she huffed before staring at him, “now look at me with your real eyes.” She drew in deeply before slowly letting her power show. Theo gasped, his eyes going from Derek to Scott, who tensed with anger. Derek smoothed the back of his hand down her cheek, looking at the deep orange color. “Now that's a new look for you.”

“Jesus,” Theo mumbled, stepping between them as he put the omega to his back and cupped her face gently in his hands. “What happened?”

Lana didn’t reply, she just lifted the edge of her shirt to show the four deep claw marks that weren’t healing. Theo took a breath in slowly, blowing it out his nose as his eyes went directly to Scott’s. The alpha made his way over, smiling gently as he took the fabric between his fingers and lifted it more, slowly going to his knees in front of her. 

Derek backed off, well as far as he felt comfortable moving with the chimera and alpha so protective, but what he saw as the three of them stood there was something not quite… right? Maybe that wasn’t the word, but it wasn’t part of their natural order either.

“Don’t freak out,” Scott chuckled, biting his bottom lip as he slipped closer. He was surprised that Theo was so quiet, and he glanced up at the beta, checking in on him too, and watched the curiosity in Theo’s eyes. “Okay, I’m going to get really close, so… you know, don’t punch me.”

A smile ticked up on her lips as she rolled her eyes and looked away, blushing, but her hands went two ways, one reaching for Theo’s, which he took automatically, and the other released her shirt, going straight into Scott’s hair. Derek smirked, crossing his arms as he tilted his head just to see what was going on.

The closer Scott got to her skin, the harder she breathed, and first it was through her nose, until he met her skin. Her lips rolled back, exposing blunt fangs and her hand darted from Theo’s fingers up to his shoulders, fisting his shirt. Theo smirked, reaching out to place his hand on her waist opposite of Scott, just as she started panting through her mouth. He didn't have to wonder what being so close to the alpha was doing to her, not with that reaction, but it brought about a completely uncharacteristic one of his own. Theo’s eyes glowed a bright gold in response to those orange ones, it also drew out a barely audible rumble from the alpha, nothing threatening, almost like a purr, and Theo looked wide-eyed at Liam.

“Okay,” Stiles smiled, though he was definitely blushing as he stared, unabashed, at the trio. Derek glanced at him, catching his amber eyes and gave him a wink that sent the human on some sort of mumbled tangent, before he spit out, “this is new. Yeah, this is good, right? They’re not gonna kill each other.”

Scott closed his eyes, let the feel of his cheek on the smooth skin of her stomach warm every part of him, and it woke up a few things too, but that wasn’t why he was so close. He lay his free hand on her thigh, curling his fingers in towards the seams.

“You know,” Liam spoke up, clearing his throat, “I feel like I should totally _not_ be watching this. I swear it's like I just walked in on my parents streaming pornos. It’s weird,” But he couldn’t move, not with the deer in the headlight look Theo was giving him, and he especially didn’t move when Theo quickly shook his head. “Dude, what are you doing?”

Scott stopped just as her body began to shake, letting the stubble from his five o’clock shadow run along the edge of her sweats and he took a deep breath in, focusing on the four, half-inch wounds on her. He could smell the infection in them, the tang of wolfsbane, just a little odor of the kanima poison, but there was something else, something not as simple to define, buried under her natural scent and everything around it.

With a shaky release of his breath, Scott backed away slowly, letting her shirt fall first, before his hand went up to wrap gently on her wrist. If he moved any faster, he was going to lose hair. She had him so tightly wrapped around her fingers that she would have yanked it out, but as he slipped his thumb into her palm, she let him loose.

Sitting back on his heels, he looked up at her bright eyes, half hidden beneath heavy lids, and he let a sly smirk rise up one side of his lips when she finally closed her mouth, breathing softly through her nose. She hadn’t released Theo and that caught Scott’s eyes when he looked down, uncertainty written in his expression. Scott slowly rose, took Lana’s hand in his, catching her eyes.

“It’s okay,” he gave a small nod, “come with me,” and her eyes brightened just a bit, making him full-on grin. “Bring him,” he glanced at Theo, who went stock still, “come on.” It was like baiting a child, but he saw her hand move, slipping down from the spot she had gripped him to the beta’s hand before he tugged on her. “I’m not going to hurt him, Lana, I promise.”

She let out a shaky breath and let him lead her out of the room, Theo behind her trying to get Liam’s attention, but the younger one only raised a brow and shrugged. He had no clue what was going on either. It was the doorway to the bedroom that Theo stopped dead in his tracks, halting the movement of the woman in front of him before Scott looked back.

“Ah, no,” he shook his head, eyes locked on the mattress.

“Theo,” Scott gestured in as soon as he caught his attention, but the beta dropped her hand, moving at a slower pace as Scott turned her and let her sit on the edge of the bed. Derek and Stiles moved further into the room before Theo could blink and suddenly the rolling door was slammed shut. “Whatever it is, it’s not something I recognize.”

And those words snapped him out of it, “wait, she’s poisoned?”

Theo moved quickly to the bed, crouching in front of Lana, who couldn’t seem to control the shift back, her eyes stuck on that bright orange color.

“Lana, you need to try to shift,” Derek sighed, finding his own spot in front of the woman, as Stiles moved towards the metal cabinets in the back of the room.

“What if that spreads it?” Theo panicked, looking at the men beside him, “are you sure this is a good idea, she can’t even control what she’s doing right now?”

“Calm down,” Scott sighed, “whatever else is in those wounds, it’s affecting her shift. I could smell the venom, the wolfsbane, but there was something else under it.”

“Let me try,” Derek offered, but the look on Lana’s face said it all. If he came near her, she really was going to punch him, and Derek couldn’t hold back the snicker. “Okay, we’ll let Doctor McCall see what he can do.”

“You’re going to operate? Here? Now?” Theo stood, eyes going over the surgical roll that Stiles was placing on the small bedside table. He could see the knives and his body shook as he tried to hold back the memories, but it was the sudden tight hold on his hand that made him look over at Lana, who had paled considerably since they left the room. That’s when he noticed it. “Jesus, her hand is freezing.”

“That’s where you come in,” Scott winked, and if the pleasantness wasn’t unnerving enough, waiting for Scott to blow his lid about the whole incident in the field was starting to get on his nerves. “She needs you to be close, so,” maybe it was her chemo signals, maybe that was what was screwing up his head, he couldn’t concentrate, and he was way off center. “Theo,” his eyes went back to Scott’s, “lie on the bed with her.”

“Oh, no,” he shook his head, glancing at the scalpels, “ah, no, no thanks.” But the tug on his hand held him steady. Lana looked up at him with tired eyes, the black beneath them was growing more prominent and slowly he sat down beside her on the mat, then leaned over, using his elbow to prop himself up as his hand brushed back his hair. “You’re gonna owe me big time for this, lady,” and he got a faint smile from her, “big, like massively huge.”

“Okay,” Derek sighed, breaking the tension in the room. “We have to move her up more, get her lying straight.”

And they did just that, shifted her until every part of her was on the mattress. Theo kicked off his shoes, stripped down until he was just in his jeans and tee and rested along her side, keeping his eyes on her. Scott knelt at the side of the bed, close enough for her to draw in deeply, taking his scent and just like the common room, her hand went to his hair even as her eyes focused on Theo.

She shivered when her shirt was rolled up, tucked in just under her breasts and Theo leaned in, kissed her softly on the forehead as a tear rolled down her cheek. He felt her claws flick out, scraping along his skin and his gaze when right to Scott.

“She’s losing control,” he spoke softly, but the worry was there, and Scott nodded.

“Hold her down,” he commanded as Stiles grabbed her legs and Derek braced her shoulder, but Lana’s gaze was locked on Theo’s. “Okay, here we go.”

The first cut in was the worst, as Lana roared out in pain, but Derek held her. Theo only got closer, pressed against her from hip to shoulder and he whispered about absolutely nothing, keeping her eyes on his. She fought against the hold, at least with her feet, knowing Stiles could take her down, but only for so long, but she kept Theo in her sights.

The first sound of relief was the moment Scott pulled a claw from her stomach, and everything in her body relaxed.

“I don’t understand,” Derek broke the silence, “he had all of them when I tied him up.”

“I don’t know,” Scott sighed, “but there three more.”

Theo moved in closer, pressing his forehead against hers as Scott brought the scalpel down, and she cried out, more human than animal this time, her sobs nearly broke his heart, but he wasn’t letting her go. She caught her breath as he recalled every moment of his life from the exact point he stepped onto the Beacon Hills campus, telling her his deepest secrets, even when her eyes closed after the second claw was removed.

Scott moved onto the third, which only produced a whimper, but Theo kept right on talking, this time he had his arm stretched above his head, using it as a pillow as he whispered right into her ear, keeping just the right distance to see her face, run his eyes over her profile, and just over the top, he saw Derek watching. The omega clenched his jaw, narrowed his eyes at the two on the bed and just observed, still keeping contact with her skin.

By the fourth claw, there was no protest in her body, she didn’t even make a noise when he cut into her, but the others were healing, and that was what mattered. Scott placed it in the bowl, sitting back as he took a breath, but then he leaned forward, head on the bed beside her. Derek got up, grabbed the bowl, and the used gauze, moving away to start cleaning up. Stiles patted Scott on the back, gave the girl and Theo a quick smile, and left the room to tell the others what was going on.

It wasn’t until after Derek disappeared that Theo spoke.

“She’s gonna be okay?” he whispered, not moving from her, still taking in the sleeping profile in front of him. He felt the bed move, heard Scott breathe in deeply, and then let out a rough noise. Theo pushed up on his elbow again, seeing only the top of Scott’s head. “Scott?”

“She’s healing, the poison’s gone,” he answered, but his voice was deep, angry. Theo shifted backwards, getting ready to move, but when Scott brought his eyes up, the only thing the alpha did was shake his head, which instantly stilled the chimera. “What happened today? And don’t lie.”

“To be honest,” Theo focused on her, on her breathing and shrugged, “I don’t know.”

Scott was towering over him, straddling his legs, hands on either side of Theo’s head before the beta could make a break for it. The alpha red in them was bright, and Scott bared his fangs. “I said  _ don’t  _ lie.”

Theo put his hands up, exposing his wrists, beta gold eyes locked on the man towering above him. “She just… her scent was so strong, but I moved, I swear I did,” his throat was constricting, there was an odd feeling of panic rising up in his stomach, and while Scott hovered above him, it felt like an elephant was sitting on his chest. “She,” he closed his eyes. How the hell was he supposed to explain it if he didn’t understand it himself. “It was just scenting, Scott, I swear.”

He shook beneath him, full blown panic in his features, unable to catch his breath, and Scott balanced on one hand as he brought the other to Theo’s face, resting it gently against his neck, but the beta flinched, started to hyperventilate, couldn’t focus when his eyes went wide.

“Theo,” his voice was calm, he shook off the shift with barely a movement, his eyes the only thing remaining of his wolf, “Theo, look at me.” He couldn’t, there was no way. “ _ Look at me _ !” It wasn’t loud, but there was a command behind it and Theo stilled instantly, eyes wide as he stared up at Scott. “Breathe,” it was soft, and he moved his hand down from his face to his chest, feeling the beat of his heart. “Breathe with me, okay? In,” and he waited to feel it before he continued. “Out.”

For five minutes, they repeated this, until Theo was breathing normally on his own. Scott hated panic attacks, and he got them a lot more than people knew, but he always had Stiles to talk him down. It was good to know that he could take that information, the way that his friend grounded him and do it for the beta.

With an exhausted sigh, Scott flopped down on the bed next to him, the three of them not nearly taking up the room that the king sized bed offered, but as both men stared at the ceiling, they realized just how oddly comfortable they were in each other’s space. Scott hadn’t moved far enough away to say that he wasn’t touching Theo’s arm, or that the bend of his knee wasn’t lying on the beta’s thigh, but that wasn’t what really got him.

He wasn’t actually upset.

“You know I care about you,” Scott whispered, to which Theo gave a non-committal grunt. “You’re my family, my pack, just like everyone else, and I wasn’t mad.”

“Could have fooled me,” Theo gruffed, his eyes slowly closing as one hand drifted over to find Lana’s.

Scott scowled and rolled onto his side, weight on his left arm as he looked down at Theo’s face. “I wasn’t. I was worried,” and that got the blue eyes of the man in the middle to open, gazing up at Scott’s brown ones, his human eyes. “I was worried about her,” he gestured towards Lana while biting down on his lip and Theo wondered if that was where Liam had gotten the habit, some bite transferred quirk. “And I was worried about you too, the fact that your scents were so mixed together, it just…” Scott sighed, “do you know what being a  _ mate  _ means to us?”

“She’s yours and you’ll rip apart anyone who touches her?” There was the sarcastic smile that Scott had grown so accustomed to seeing.

“Actually,” the alpha grinned, “I was looking it up in one of Derek’s books and I guess it means she’s my anchor, like you and Liam, me and Stiles, but not just for my wolf.” Scott flopped back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. “For the pack.”

This got Theo to sit up, and turn to him, “so, you don’t go all Neanderthal?”

“God, I hope not,” Scott scoffed, closing his eyes, “she’d probably rip my face off.”

Theo smirked, glanced back at Lana, and laid down on the bed, his eyes focused on the strange Celtic knot that was etched into the ceiling. He had no idea where Scott had been going with that declaration, but he heard the moment the alpha drifted off, just moments before the sense of  _ home, safe,  _ and  _ pack _ pulled him under.


	6. Episode Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lana's powers are growing along with her connection to everyone in the pack, but that doesn't explain a lot of things, especially her draw to Scott, but the alpha might have the answer to that. 
> 
> In fact, all things might be pointing in the same direction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YAY, 6 into it. This chapter is mostly information, some fluff, still a slow burn. If you're worried about the connection between Theo and Lana, relax, it will all work out. Plus, PACK.
> 
> Also, my only betas are Liam and Theo, no one has read through this story except for me and MS word, so all the errors are mine. I'd like to thank Isaac for finally making his way into something less sarcastic, but I don't suspect that it will stay that way for long.  
> Enjoy.

Episode 1x06

Sometime late Monday night

Liam woke suddenly to the sounds of movement in the kitchen, and while Derek had camped out on the couch, and the three others were still locked away in the bedroom on the first floor, no one seemed to notice the noise. He sat up, glanced over at Isaac, who shared the queen air mattress with him, and realized that as far as he could tell, everyone else was asleep and there were no extra heartbeats in the building.

He made his way silently down the spiral steps and passed the sleeping omega, pausing at the doorway to unleash his claws before taking a breath and stepping in. The light over the stove was on, and the refrigerator door was open, but here was no sign of anyone. He held his breath, concentrated on the sound of the heartbeat and moved around the island just as Lana stood, box of cereal in her hand.

She didn’t jump like Liam did, who gasped and gently placed his hand on his chest, trying to catch the adrenaline that was racing through him, she just rolled her eyes. When she smirked, he flashed gold eyes and a sarcastic scowl in her direction. She grabbed the milk out of the fridge and closed it before dumping the cereal first then the milk into the bowl, glancing up at him as she did.

“What are you doing? You scared the hell out of me,” he snarled, his words low and threatening, or at least they would be if he wasn’t now leaning across the counter from her, snatching cocoa-cocoa puffs from her bowl.

Lana chewed the mouthful of food, holding her spoon up ready to dive back in and she cocked a brow. “The Roman’s called it  _ midnight snack _ .”

“Not they didn’t,” Liam rolled his eyes, as she shrugged and went back to her food. “Seriously, how are you even walking?”

“High metabolism,” she shrugged again and went back to eating. “I’m starving, the last time I ate was God-only-knows-when and a girl can’t survive on fights and adrenaline alone, Liam.” He gave her a smirk and grabbed the cereal box, helping himself to it without the milk. “Scott and Theo are still in La-La land and I can only look at a ceiling for so long. What’s your excuse?”

“Some symbiote was raiding the fridge,” he shrugged, not looking up from the word he was creating with the round puffs. “I guess I’m more tuned into you than I thought, I was just wide awake and on my way here.”

“Ah-huh,” she grinned around another spoonful, “thought I was a cat burglar coming for your puffs, didn’cha?” Liam let the smile ride up on his lips as he shook his head. “They stick you with Isaac?” He gave a slight nod, but didn’t answer, “and Stiles went home?”

“You’re worried about Stiles?” that kinda piqued his interest, but she just gave a nonchalant shrug and didn’t meet his eyes.

“I’m worried about all of you,” she snatched the bowl up, drank down the milk and placed it slowly down in the sink before returning the milk to the fridge. “You guys haven’t gotten a day off of anything since we met, pretty unfair, don’cha think?”

“You’re one of us, we just want to keep you…” Liam stood up straight as she rounded the corner. Lana stopped not a foot from him and looked him straight in the eyes as her hand came up to his cheek.

“Safe is one thing, constantly in danger is another.” She leaned in and kissed him softly opposite of her hand and Liam closed his eyes at the touch.

He wasn’t deprived, there were too many touchy wolves in this pack for any of them to be touch starved but just soft caress brought him a peace that he hadn’t felt since Theo came into his life, and most of their contact was bumps of the shoulders, sitting to close, hugs when they were afraid for the other, this was just…  _ home, safe _ … _ pack _ all rolled into one.

But there was something else…

Liam twirled as she walked by him, and he reached out, taking hold of her wrist. “You’re leaving, aren’t you?”

“No,” she smiled softly at him, and there was no lie in her heartbeat, or more importantly in her eyes, “I need to go home and get stuff,  _ fix _ stuff with my aunt and uncle. They need to know about Jonathan, about…” she paused, “you all need to know about Turret.”

Liam had managed to move her hand into his, and he stood playing with her fingers as she spoke, but that name caught his attention. “Who?”

“He’s my grandmother’s bodyguard,” but she said it in such a way that it sounded more like a code name than an actual title. “I won’t be gone long, okay? Just wait.”

He stood strong, those pale blue eyes grew dark, turning just a little towards the hazel side when he was determined, and he  _ was _ determined. “No,” was whispered and she sighed, shook her head, but raised a brow at him, “you’re pack, we do this together, no one goes alone. Look at what happened yesterday, Lana.”

“Yeah, and that’s going to put an overbearing alpha and a protective beta on my ass for a very long time,” she reached up, rubbing her hand across her head. “I’m,” she paused, “I’m just not used to the attention, Li, I’m so used to it being just me, running, all the time. This stop and stay; it’s driving me crazy.”

“You stopped and stayed?” He joked, getting a small smile from her as he stepped closer, pulling her against him as his lips went to her temple, “I don’t think there’s been a moment in the last four days that you’ve stopped at all, unless you were unconscious.”

Lana gave in, wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned against him, eyes closed, “you’re not going to knock me out, are you?”

Liam gave a gentle shrug, but his voice was full of confidence, and humor, “might wrestle you, but no, I wouldn’t knock you out.”

She leaned back, smiling at the mirth in his eyes, “pretty confident, aren’t you?”

“I am the coach,” he winked but that was about the time that Theo came sliding into the kitchen, eyes wide and panicked, but he stopped, confusion suddenly written on his face, and looked over the two of them. Liam only smirked at his friend. “Morning.”

“It’s the middle of the night,” Theo grouched, his voice still deep with sleep, but his eyes went to the way Liam was holding her, “what’s going on?”

“Snack,” Lana whispered, turning in his hold to put her back to the beta, but she wouldn’t let him break it, she just folded his arms over her chest and leaned back. She knew that Liam needed this, he needed to know she wasn’t running. “Why are you awake?”

“Really?” He stepped into the room, a natural swagger in his step that made her eye the way his hips moved as he came closer, and Theo hmmphed to get her attention. He leaned in close, pressed his cheek against hers, lips on her ear, not even bothered by the closeness or the scent of the man holding her. “It’s the middle of the night,” was all he repeated before he backed away. “You were next to me one second, and gone the next, I think I’m entitled to a little freak out.”

“Theo,” he hadn’t moved out of reach yet, so she let the tip of her fingers run gently down his cheek, “I’m okay,” she grabbed the end of her shirt and lifted it, still not moving away from the beta behind her, and showed him the clear skin, “see, all healed.”

“You scared the hell out of me,” the chimera growled, and Lana felt Liam breathe in deep at her back, getting ready for anything, but the one in front of her did nothing but reach out and cup her cheeks. His lips parted as he looked into her eyes, deep enough that Lana felt herself blushing and he came close enough that he was the only thing that filled her vision. “Don’t ever do that again.”

“I’ll try to keep my brother’s claw out of me,” she whispered, and it was meant to be sarcastic, but he was too close, and with one behind her and him in front, the only thing that her world consisted of was the two men. Their scents narrowed her vision, cutting out everything that was outside of their little bubble, and that made her panic. “Theo, you gotta let go.”

He drew in as much air as he could, nodded twice and back away, the gold in his eyes flashed before he put enough space between them that he could control the shift, but that gaze went up to Liam, who was literally shaking behind her.

“Okay, new rule,” Liam spoke up, but it still sent a chill down her spine, “you two are not allowed to do that again.” He slipped his arms away from her and rounded the island. Space… space was good. “That was way too much power.”

“What?” Theo questioned, finally taking his eyes off Lana.

“You mean you didn’t feel that?” The younger one smiled, completely void of humor, “you two nearly lit up the room. It was like adrenaline times nine-thousand.”

“I just felt…” Theo started, his eyes flickered down to the woman in front of him, thoroughly confused.

“Him,” Lana quickly chimed in, and shook her head, “and you.” Her eyes moved to the beta. “I don’t understand what…”

The rumble that came from the doorway said they weren’t the only ones to feel it, and all three sets of eyes were on Scott, who stood there in just his jeans, red eyes locked on Lana.

“Whatever you’re doing,” he breathed through clenched fangs, “cut it out.”

“Sure,” she agreed, worried eyes locked on the way he stood, in a defensive posture, fist tight but completely without claws, “as soon as we figure out what the hell we did.”

“It was a pack call,” Derek voice added to the group from behind her, and in that instance, surrounded by them, Lana felt caged in.

“You think we could talk about this not trapped in a small box with a very little window on the top floor of a very tall industrial building?” The symbiote questioned, her voice shaking. Theo could suddenly smell the anxiety coming off her and reached out his hand for her.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Liam added, and Theo turned a glare in his direction.

“Apparently, we’re all out of good ideas,” the chimera snarked, took her hand, shivering at the flow of power before the two of them scooted past Scott, with Derek a few steps behind. Isaac was leaning on the iron railing above them, more of an observer than anything and he rolled his eyes at the pair, but Theo was on the defensive. “Got something to say?”

“The rest are on their way,” he announced, holding up Liam’s phone, giving it a little shake to show the multiple text messages, “whatever you did, woke them all up.”

“Alright,” Derek came up behind the two and placed his hands on their shoulders, a gesture he quickly reversed as he shook off the sensation of pins and needles in his hand and gestured to the couch with a nod of his head. Scott didn’t say anything, he just moved around them, leaned against the table across from the couch and watched, fingers clenching around the edge of the table but oddly relaxed. “First,” he pointed to their hands, “stop that.”

Both Theo and Lana looked down, slipped their fingers from each other’s and put a little space between them, a movement that got a flash of red from Scott. He clenched his jaw, but blinked back any emotions becoming totally unreadable, then again neither of them were sure what the display of power was, because they let go or that they had been doing it in the first place. Theo shifted in his seat, resting his arm behind her on the couch, as he drummed his fingers on the arm.

“Second,” they glanced at each other before looking back at the omega standing, with crossed arms, in front of them, “we really need to figure out what’s going on.” Derek sighed, rubbed his hands together and then ran them through his hair.

“Duh,” Isaac added from above, legs hanging off the edge of the loft, as he sat against the rail, but his maker ignored the comment and sat down on the coffee table in front of them.

“Show me your eyes,” Derek smirked, drawing her attention from the beta upstairs. Lana huffed, but did what he said, showing the power in them. “Hmm, not quite purple yet.”

“What do you mean? I feel fine.” She shrugged and let her gaze land on Scott’s, flashing it again, “Scott, what color are they?”

The alpha moved from the table, licked his lips, and came to sit next to Derek, taking her hand in his as he let the red flare, getting the reaction he expected from her, a responding show of power. He let a small smile form on his lips, a blush creep over his features, and he winked. “They’re beautiful.”

“That’s not what I asked,” she gave him a light growl, one that made Theo smile, as he looked to his left, hiding it under his fingers as he found Liam not too far away, shaking his head at the cheesy line. “What color are they?”

“Redder now than orange, but not purple,” he answered slowly, and slipped down to kneel between her thighs, placing his free hand on her neck. Theo’s instant reaction, even if he wasn’t looking, was to let his fingers glide over the skin just above the neckline of her shirt, under her hair, and Derek saw it all. “It’s okay, Lana, it might take some time.”

“We don’t have time,” she felt oddly grounded with the two of them so close. “He’s not dead, right? You didn’t kill him, so we don’t know how long before he tries again.”

The alarm on the door went off, startling the pack, and just as Derek reached it, there were three loud bangs against the metal. He sighed, rubbed his forehead, the lack of sleep was starting to get to him, and he slid it open only to be faced with a not exactly happy Lydia, complete with little red-headed girl in her arms, and a shocked Stiles, whose gaze was going from Derek, to the alpha and back.

“You could have put that this was a shirtless thing on the invitation,” Stiles hmmphed as he stepped passed, which only got Derek to shake his head as he leaned in and kissed Lydia on the cheek.

“You can put her in the bedroom,” he smiled, running a soft hand down the three-year-old’s hair.

Lydia nodded, not saying a word and scooted by the people in the room. Derek moved to close the door, but it was halted by the powerful blue eyes of Malia, dressed in loose llama pajamas, who made a face at him and entered, flopping down in the nearest recliner. Derek stuck his head out the door, saw Mason and Corey exiting the elevator, and he glanced at Scott with a pitched brow when they were all securely in.

“What was that?” Malia spoke up, sitting forward in the chair as Stiles came in from closing the bedroom door.

“It was Lana,” Scott shrugged, turning just barely in his spot, not about to put any distance between him and his  _ mate _ , not while she was shaking, something no one else seemed to notice.

“And Liam, and Theo,” the symbiote sighed, letting her head drop back on Theo’s hand.

“I feel like this is going to be a pot of coffee conversation,” Stiles groaned, “so, this is me, going to the kitchen.”

“I’ll help,” Mason volunteered because being the only other human in the room was always just a little awkward.

Scott got off the floor as Derek tapped him on the shoulder, gesturing him to follow and Theo was busy whispering to Liam and Corey at the side of the couch, not noticing when Lana got up. Okay, that was probably wrong, he probably felt it the moment she moved on the cushions, but he didn’t say anything, and she didn’t turn to look.

Her eyes were focused on the man who sat above them. Lana followed the stairway to the top and slowly made her way towards Isaac, he didn’t bother to turn his head, but she knew he was tracking every step. She sat down beside him, slipped her legs through the opening at the bottom of the rail and almost mimicked his position.

“I’m sorry if I woke you,” she whispered softly.

“You didn’t,” he mumbled, his eyes going over the people in the room, “Liam did when he got up. He wasn’t the only one that heard you in the kitchen, just the only one to react.”

“You saw me go in, didn’t you?” Lana smiled. Isaac sat back, finally looking directly at her while Lana still had to look up to meet his eyes. Isaac’s expression wasn’t cruel, though it wasn’t kind either. The beta had a strange way of observing, like he was always on the outside hoping to find some sort of peace in the way the other’s lived.

“I see a lot of things,” his stare was unwavering, but after a moment of strained silence, he gave her a small smirk and they went back to watching the group. Theo’s eyes, as he spoke, were trained on her, his head turned just a little to both listen to the boys around him and see her every more. “He’s never been like that, not with anyone.”

“Except Liam,” but Isaac just shrugged.

“Once he figured out that his anchor could control himself, he backed off, gave him space, stopped watching and waiting for the moment he was needed. They’re disgustingly co-dependent on each other still, but not like they were in the beginning. You, though, you have his attention every second he’s in the same room with you.” Isaac’s voice was melodic, almost too calm and while she had been observing the man on the couch while he talked, once he stopped, her eyes were on him.

“Okay,” she smiled, knowing he was giving part of himself up with volunteering the information, and she needed to know more about this one. “Why?”

Isaac turned to her, eyes bright gold, and he smiled, “isn’t it obvious? Because you’re an alpha.”

“Not fully,” Lana winked and turned away.

“Enough,” was all Isaac responded before he lapsed into a moment of silence, still watching her. “You don’t know the power you radiate.”

“Isn’t Theo one of Scott’s pack? He wouldn’t be protective of me because of my alpha part.” and once more she was looking into his eyes, his human eyes as he raised his brows.

“Theo has two parts,” he replied, as if that made all the sense in the world. “The wolf is loyal to Scott, always has been because of their friendship early in school, but the coyote part of him still looks for something, like he’s unsettled. It’s how he found Liam really.”

“He told me the story,” she whispered that part, like it was some sort of secret, but Isaac leaned forward, rested his temple on the bar and just took her in.

“You’re not that different from him, are you? Death does that to people, and it connects them, even if it’s in weird ways.” He wrapped his hands around the bars, gave her a small grin and turned away to watch the group, but that last comment had Lana’s gaze on him. She knew he was right, but after it became obvious that he wasn’t going to continue, Lana turned her sights to the group.

*****

Liam stepped into the kitchen where Stiles stood with his arm out on the counter, head down on it like a pillow and his eyes closed as the large twelve-cup coffee maker perked in the background. Mason looked up from his phone, gave a quick pitch of his brow and went back to the scene.

“Sorry to wake you guys up,” he moved to stand next to Mason, who just shrugged. “Corey said that it was weird, like a pull, so how come the two of you are here?”

“Pack, duh,” Stiles mumbled, and Mason grinned.

“Wait, you felt it?” Okay, this could be interesting.

Stiles pushed up so his chin was on his arm, and he looked at the beta with tired eyes. “The baby woke up first, something about Uncle Scott, then Lydia woke up,” he shrugged, “I just go where they tell me too. Didn’t you feel it? I mean, what the hell was going on?”

“It’s kinda hard to explain,” Liam felt the heat in his face and Stiles slowly stood, his amber eyes narrowing on the beta.

“Okay,” he said in that definitely deputy voice as he leaned on the table, “try.”

“She was in here, and I hugged her and then Theo came in,” Liam’s eyes went wide, trying to figure out a way to not stumble over his words because, unless he was ordering a bunch of high schoolers around, he still wasn’t very good with adults. “He touched her, I mean, we were all touching…”

“Ah-huh,” Stiles looked as though he was making the wrong assumptions and Mason only gave him a smirk, “you do know her alpha is right outside, right?”

“Not like that,” Liam huffed, aggravated, “it was just a hug, but it turned into something powerful.”

“Like a beacon?” Mason questioned.

“I don’t know, for me it was like there was an energy in the room,” Liam bit down on his lip. “I had to let go, but with the two of them still touching…”

“When did it stop?” Stiles was thoroughly confused now because there was nothing in any of the books that he had read that said anything about psychic vibrations calling pack members.

“When Scott walked in,” and this had Liam’s eyes up and going back and forth between the two of them. “Yeah, that was it, when Scott came in the room, the whole thing kind of…”

“Disappeared?”

“Yeah, well, no,” Liam shook his head, fists tight against his side, “Derek told them to stop holding hands and then it just kinda went…”

“Poof,” Stiles whispered, and the beta looked at him in frustration, but the deputy wasn’t bothering to look up, he just stared at an unknown spot in the middle of the counter. “Alright,” he breathed out suddenly, turning towards the pot, “coffee’s done, everyone grab some.” He pointed at Liam as he took his mug, filled it, and headed for the door, “you’re in charge if it runs out.”

Liam eyed him with furrowed brows, as Stiles stared to make his point, “sure?” and then he was gone. The blue-eyed beta turned to Mason. “What the hell just happened?”

*****

Stiles rushed up to Scott and Derek, placing the mug on the desk beside him and he turned Scott quickly, hands on his shoulders, interrupting his conversation, but he didn’t say anything, just fidgeted in place.

Finally, Scott had enough, “what, Stiles?”

“The pack call,” he started, but shifted on his feet, one hand going to his hip as the other two waited. Derek rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. “I think it was some sort of bonding thing.”

“Okay,” Scott bit his lip, testing his patience. “What kind?”

“Alright, hear me out,” Stiles grabbed his arm, turning them towards Derek who leaned in further towards the desk. “Liam said that it happened when the three of them touched,” and there was a light growl from Scott, “stop that!” His lack of control was starting to frustrate the human and Scott lowered his eyes at the command. “Listen, he said that it stopped when you came in the room. You,” his eyes locked on Scott’s brown ones, “which means it wasn’t something spontaneous, it was a pack call for a reason. Whatever is inside her, the other wolf, was trying to locate you, so what if it knows there’s a threat nearby.”

“There’s not,” Derek spoke up, backing away a bit, “we’ve already had feelers out, making sure that the area is secure.”

“Yeah, but her wolf doesn’t know that for sure.” Stiles stood straight, “it knows one thing, that her survival is the only way she’s going to stay alive. She put out the call.”

“Because she was scared,” Scott whispered, his brows coming together as he frowned before he looked up at his best friend, “makes sense, she’s terrified of facing Jonathan again.”

“So, she wants to surround herself with the only people that’s ever made her feel safe,” Stiles’ brows went so high that they almost disappeared beneath his spiking hair. “You guys, this is serious. Lana’s one of the most powerful wolves we’ve ever come across, but she’s scared and has powers we don’t understand. What do we do with that?”

All three were quiet for a second, ideas flowing through their heads before Scott looked at them both, determination in his gaze. “We give her what she needs, a pack, protection from the inside.”

“And if she goes off?” Stiles was always a realist, and the possibility that Lana wouldn’t be in control made him worried.

Scott took a deep breath, “we’ll deal with it when it comes to that.” He glanced between the two of them, “but for now,” he winked at Stiles, “feel like a sleepover?”

“Great,” he huffed, “another puppy pile?”

*****

Scott topped the stairs, his hands rubbing anxiously on the thighs of his jeans. Isaac had heard that the coffee was ready a while ago and had quickly made a break for the kitchen to get the fresh pot, leaving Lana there to watch the pack.

Down below, the preparations for another night of sleeping close were being made, with only Lydia, Allison, and Stiles spending the night in Derek’s room. Lana only glanced up as he slipped into her right, letting his legs touch hers as he kicked his feet back and forth.

“Are you okay?” he whispered, gently, his eyes on her profile the whole time, and saw the barely there nod she gave.

“I did this,” her response would have never been heard if he wasn’t sitting beside her, “I called them all here.” Her blue eyes were glassy with unshed tears as she finally broke away from the chaos and looked at him. “I don’t know if I’m worried or relieved.”

Scott reached out, taking her fingers gently in his as he pulled her hand to his lap, smiling down at it as he played with the tips of them. “You know, it’s okay to be happy about them all being here,” he looked up at her from under the curls that feel in front of him, “they care about you, otherwise they wouldn’t have come, and sent a text instead.”

“According to Isaac, they did that too,” she let her fingers wrap around his, the touch of his skin grounded her, and she couldn’t get over the fact that his scent made her feel safe. “Scott,” she paused and that got him to sit up straight, “you know, we really don’t know much about each other.”

“We know enough,” he’s smile wasn’t forced but it wasn’t as easy as he would have liked either, “we know our strengths together and apart. We know what our pasts have been like, and who’s fought by our side.” His eyes went down to Theo, who was standing in the corner out of the way as Liam, loudly, explained the sleeping arrangements, but the beta’s eyes were on the couple, soft and understanding, as he crossed his arms, a small smile on his face. “And we know who loves us and wants to protect us.”

“And you’re okay with that?” she moved her focus to the alpha beside her and saw the way he softened at the look the beta was giving them before he turned to her.

“Yeah,” and there was that little nod, “more than okay.” Lana closed her eyes briefly, then focused more on the windows directly across from them as she sighed. “I was reading up on the mate lore, and I came across something pretty interesting,” she scoffed because this whole thing was screwed up, not interesting. “So, mates are…” he shook his head, “weird, to be honest, completely weird,” he huffed, “and terrifying.”

“That’s not anything I didn’t already know,” Lana mumbled, but there was a bit of humor in her voice.

“It’s not just you and me, it’s him,” Scott shrugged, his eyes going to Theo, “because there’s two of you, your alpha and your omega,” and Lana rolled her eyes because that made so much sense. “Theo’s not mine, I mean, yeah, he’s  _ mine _ , but he’s also a chimera.” Oh, he was definitely screwing this one up, and he took a deep breath to calm himself. “He was on his own for a long time, and when he came back, you know, when Liam brought him back, he was looking for a place. He became pack, but only halfway.”

“So, you're saying one part of him knows you’re his alpha, but the other part is looking for some place to fit in?” She turned towards Scott, watched the smile bring up his cheeks as he nodded.

“Yeah, and I think he found that with you,” those brown eyes landed on hers and he shrugged, “I think part of him accepts both of us as his alphas, which is why he’s so attached.” Scott bumped her shoulder lightly with his. “And I think my other side knows it too. He told me what happened in the field.” Lana’s face fell, her skin paled and Scott gave her fingers a little squeeze, “it’s okay,” and he was constantly saying that, like it always made it better, but it was his tone of voice that gave her peace. “I understand it, well, not totally but I get it.”

She took in his scent, let her eyes close as she felt the calming signals that he gave off and slowly she rested her head on his shoulder. Scott kissed her softly before leaning his cheek against her hair. “Tell me about Stiles.”

“Not much to tell, best friend, brother, there with me since… well, forever.” Scott smirked, “he’s just always been there, and the guy can come up with some of the best plans.”

“Derek?”

“How about this,” Scott lowered his voice, softened it just a little, “you already know about my wolves, and I know about your brother, but what about you? What were you like as a kid?”

“Are we doing that awkward, ‘getting to know you’ thing?” Lana laughed, as she laced her fingers with his, smoothing her thumb over his skin.

“Humor me.” It was such a teasing tone that she couldn’t keep the smile from forming on her lips. “What was your favorite thing when you were little?”

Lana scoffed, “you’re going to laugh.”

“That’s kinda the point, right?” he was talking into her hair, letting the warmth of his breath cascade over her and slowly she laid back, pulling him with her, which essentially eliminated the audience below and the constant glances in their direction from every pack member. Lana pulled her legs up, turned on her side and placed one over Scott’s thigh, her head resting against his shoulder.

“Every new moon, our pack would celebrate, sort of a reminder of what we were without our wolves,” she started, her voice low and full of nostalgia. “For a while, after I was invited to my first one, I didn’t really understand the reason behind it. It was the time of the month when the pull was furthest away, so there was no need to shift, or give in.” She lifted her gaze, resting right on Scott’s profile. “My father was pack second, with my Grandmother as high alpha, and she always overlooked the parties. There was a huge bonfire right in the middle of the field, and music, usually from someone who knew how to play, but there were times when we got to pick it. Dancing, everyone danced, and since alcohol never had an effect on anyone, this was just pure emotions, and the natural adrenaline we carry. It was amazing, hypnotic.”

“When was your first one?” Scott whispered, his eyes on the ceiling like he was trying to picture it all.

“I was ten,” she could see herself, skinny and awkward, “right after my birthday in June, the mid-summer new moon. That was when they started teaching you about the shift, about how to control your other side, about the anger, but it never bothered me.”

“Your shift?”

“Yeah, it was a little painful, but I just let it go. Of course, we were so high up in the mountains, there really wasn’t a population to worry about. The town we lived in was small, so much smaller than Beacon Hills.” Lana sighed, shifted closer and slowly moved up to balance on her elbow. Scott didn’t move his head, but his eyes went right to hers.

“What?” his question came with a smile, but it faded as soon as she bit her lip.

Cautiously, she leaned down, let her nose touch the skin of his exposed shoulder, the tee-shirt he had grabbed was Derek’s, so the V-neck was a little too loose. Scott let out a small gasp as her lips followed the same path, and he closed his eyes, clenching his fist to keep from stopping her. Lana moved ever so slowly up the curve of his neck, breathing in everything about him, and the slight vibration from his chest only earned him a smile as she rested half over his body, face buried against his skin.

Scott’s resolve faded to nothing as his hand came up, curled around her upper arm, and he turned his head towards her. Lana shifted back, only a little, and just enough so she could trail her lips up his cheek until she was staring into his red eyes.

Those bright red orbs moved from her gaze to her lips and back for only a fraction of a minute before he moved up, closing the distance between them. He pulled his legs up, kept the kiss light, but turned her so she was laying back on the floor as her hands moved into his hair. He could feel his heart racing, the way his body wanted to shift. It had been a very long time since he needed this much concentration to not give in and he could feel her smile against his.

“You’re gonna kill me,” he sighed, not breaking the way he could draw her lower lip into his, sliding his tongue along it as she let out a low hum.

“Might be worth it,” she giggled, as he wrapped his arms around her, sliding them under her shoulders as he shifted to the spot between her legs, locking her down on the floor. “I like this way of getting to know you.”

“Yeah,” his smile went wide as he moved down her cheek, nose pushing at her chin as he dipped in and found her pulse on the side of her neck, getting a low growl from her. “Me too.”

Lana let her head fall back, the hands in his hair tangle into the curls on the top as he nipped at her skin, but it was the deep breath and clearing of a throat that made him pause. Scott let out a rumble, a warning, and he tilted his head towards that damn smirk on Derek’s face as the omega stood at the top of stairs, back to the railing. He was blocking Derek’s view of Lana, but the way his eyes flared, the sudden show of fangs, told the new arrival that he could get extremely aggressive and fast.

“Not trying to burst your little private bubble,” Derek started, letting the smirk fade, “but that might not be the best idea with the entire pack downstairs.” From underneath the alpha, Lana giggled, and Scott’s power faded from his eyes. That brought back Derek’s bright smile as the omega drew in a breath. “Exactly.”

Scott nodded, hooded eyes be damned, and Derek turned to go, throwing one more glance over his shoulder at the alpha. Scott gave himself a moment to catch his breath, and his heart, but it was his hearing that suddenly caught the racing beat of the beta downstairs.

“Theo?” He sighed softly, forgetting the connection was so strong for a moment before he groaned and put his head down on Lana’s shoulders. It was the strange vibration in the air that made him look at her, the light glow of her eyes as he followed that power down, listened to the way the chimera’s beat started to slow, to even out, and all Scott could feel was calm. “How’d you do that?”

Lana blinked at him, like she wasn’t sure what he was talking about for a moment before she blushed and let the tip of her fingers run over his cheeks, all too human again.

“I just thought of him,” she said it so softly that Scott almost missed it, “sent out calming thoughts, and I followed the pull that we shared the first day I touched him.” She turned her head just a bit, “why, what did it feel like?”

“Just a vibration,” Scott didn’t want to move, the fact that he found the position comfortable, with her tucked underneath him, shouldn’t have surprised him, but it wasn’t just that he had a beautiful woman  _ under _ him, it was more like... “Home,” he whispered, “it felt like you were sending off a signal, like the pack call, but just to him.”

“Well, that’s new,” she smiled. “Maybe we should go down and check on them.”

“Yeah,” he brushed her hair from her face, “maybe,” but he leaned in and kissed her softly instead of moving away. Lana breathed in against his mouth, her body arching up against his and before he let it go any further, he sat up, pressing back on his heels. “Maybe not such a good idea.”

“I think we might be out of good ideas,” Lana smiled, scooting out from around him.

As they both stood looking down, the sight over the railing wasn’t unusual, with all the cushions and mats on the floor again, but it was Theo’s expression that got them. He was kneeling on one side of the mat, leaving room in the middle for them, with Liam to his side, looking up at them with a strange longing. Scott glanced at her, took her hand and pulled her as he went, moving down the stairs towards the settling crowd.

Lana found her placed beside Theo, who managed to lay down and push at Liam, turning into a pretend cat fight before they went quiet, his back to her, and Scott moved in on her other side. The lights flicked off, the room turned into the occasional hushed whisper before falling into complete silence and Lana found herself staring up at the ceiling once more, listening to the breathing and the heartbeats of the pack around her, Malia included this time.

*****

It was definitely a dream, she could see the cloudy haze just on the edge of her vision, like a vignette on a photo.

Lana felt herself move, the way that the earth felt under her paws was nothing unusual, but the scent of the forest around her was wrong. She was home, with the crisp northeast wind blowing through the trees, and the frost on the ground. Her steps were leading her in one direction. The fire pit.

When she stepped out of the woods and into the clearing, she wasn’t a wolf anymore, and she was fully dressed for that time of year in the mountains. Ahead of her was a blazing fire, and in front of it, one silhouette. With a huff, she moved around, sitting next to him on one of the down logs, and for a moment all she did was look at the orange flames, before she glanced up and caught his eyes.

“What are you doing here, Nick?” She whispered and saw the moment when the man beside her sat up straight, his omega blue eyes going to her. This was Turret, but from a long time ago, back when he was young, about the same age she was when she died, and all he did was shake his head, tugged the cuff sleeves down, which caught her eyes. One was too loose, missing a link and she quickly met his gaze again. “Why are you in Beacon Hills?”

“You’re in danger,” the voice that left that teenage body was that of the man she knew now, and it was just a little creepy.

Lana scoffed, “I’m pretty sure you haven’t had your head stuck in a hole for the last thirteen years, Nick, when haven’t I been in danger?”

“This isn’t a game,” and that was when he shifted, became the man he is now, closer to six feet tall, dirty blonde buzz cut, just a little high on top, dark green eyes, even without his power they were blinding, dressed to the nines in his suit, as he turned fully towards her. “Move, get away from McCall and his pack, Jonathan is close.”

“He’s already here, where the hell have you been?” She snapped and stood to walk by, but he wrapped a hand gently around her wrist. “My brother has taken my friends, taken  _ my _ beta, tortured them, poisoned me, and you’re now telling me that he’s close. Get your head out of your ass, Nick, my brother isn’t close, he’s breathing down my damn neck.”

“I can only do what your grandmother tells me, Lana, you know that.” And his fingers slipped down to hold hers loosely. “If I could do more, I would, I’d take him out before he could touch you again, but she believes in the old ways, that things should play out as they’re meant to.”

“It’s okay, I know how this ends.” Lana snatched her hand away, narrowing her eyes at him, “we have banshee, remember?”

“I do, and the Stilinski woman isn’t wrong, but there’s so much more to it.” Turret stood, gazing down at her as he drew in deeply, and slowly eased, keeping his wolf at bay. “So much more that you don’t understand.”

“I understand one thing,” she whispered, “there will be a time, sooner or later, where Scott and I will be dead, laying on the Nemeton, bleeding out, and two of the people I’ve come to trust most will have to stand by and watch.”

“That’s not exactly all of it,” he curled his claws into the palm of his hand.

“Then grow some balls, come to the loft, and put some insight into all of this.” She reached up, placed her hand on his chest and flashed the dark red of her eyes. “You’re not just my grandmother’s dog, Nick, and you know it.”

“What happened to your eyes?” The omega question, narrowing his focus on her power.

“Jonathan,” she whispered, pulling her hand back, “he’s not just a wolf anymore, he’s a kanima, and whatever he injected me with changed the color of them. I don’t know how.” Her voice sounded off, guilty, but Turret reached out, touched his fingers just under her chin and lifted her head back to look deep into them.

“No, it’s not that,” he concentrated on her and sighed. “Looks like our symbiote might have found a pack.”

Lana slapped his hand, stepped back and shook her head. “Don’t even say that.”

“Why?” Turret laughed, “do you think it’s so far out of the realm of possibility for you? You’re not a lone wolf, Lana, and neither is your spirit.”

“It’s,” she took a breath, moved to stand beside him and shook her head, “it’s not safe for them.”

She stepped away but heard him turn. “You’re alpha isn’t going to let you go, and that could be a problem with your grandmother involved.”

Lana clenched her fists, didn’t bother to turn but let the power rise. “That old bat can drop dead, and I’ll be the one to do it if she touches  _ my _ alpha.”

“Should I pass on the message?” His tone told her there was definitely a smile on his face, and she could almost see him straightening his sleeves.

“You can tell her any damn thing you want,” and with that she moved into the darkness, shifted, and moved into the woods.

****

Lana sat up quickly, taking her head from Scott’s chest, and knocking the sleeping beta from her side, as she caught her breath. Scott blinked awake, his deep brown eyes focusing on her as Theo groaned beside her, curling into Liam instead, looking for some sort of body heat. She could feel the instant he touched her back, warm fingers drawing a line down from just beneath her shoulder blade to the waist of her sweats before ducking under the fabric, needing some sort of contact.

“Hey,” he spoke softly, catching her attention and she hummed lightly in reply, “you okay?”

“Bad dream,” she admitted, slowly turning to face him before lying down, finding the comfort in the sound of his heart beating under her ear. “Old friend came back to haunt me.”

“Yeah,” his lips caressed the top of her head, “which one?”

“Turret,” she sighed, and felt Scott stiffen, like he recognized the name.

“Derek mentioned him, said you woke up yelling his name at Peter’s house,” Scott snuggled down into the blankets, wrapping his arms more securely around the woman, as he grabbed her thigh and placed it over his hip, “there, much better.”

“Derek needs to keep his mouth shut,” Lana huffed, eyes still not willing to close. “We grew up together, he was one of the ones that got away when they came for me, but when he returned, he went to work for my grandmother.”

“Let me guess, his favorite work-related project was you,” Scott’s voice went deep with anger, and his chest rose, as if he were preparing for battle.

“For the most part, but when he came back, there was something a little different about him.” Lana turned her head, rested her chin on Scott’s chest and sighed, “he could form a psychic connection with another wolf from our pack.”

“And?”

“He told me to get away from you, from the others, that Jonathan was closer than we thought and that our deaths were so much more than Lydia’s visions.” Lana couldn’t stay still. It was like there were bugs crawling under her skin and she quickly stood, moved off the mattress as gently as possible and grabbed the hoodie that Liam had worn before stepping out on the balcony, with Scott not far behind. She turned to the alpha as he shut the door quietly, barefoot and in nothing but sleep pants and a tee-shirt, and she wrapped the fabric around her more, just looking at him standing there made her shiver. “Nick never lies, it’s the one thing he always holds close to the heart. A code that he won’t ever break. My grandmother would never let him interfere with anything that happens, that’s her thing, but if he got into my head just to warn me, then I don’t know what to do.”

“I do,” Scott stepped up to her, fighting every instinct not to touch her and waited for her eyes to lock on his, “we don’t run. We stand and fight and we figure this out together, as a pack.”

“I’m not pack, Scott, you know this,” she rubbed her hand over her forehead, shifting her weight, and this time he did move, stepped closer, leaning down to cut out most of the distance between them as he smiled.

“Yes, you are,” his eyes burned a bright red, something that triggered her wolf, igniting the power behind her eyes, more red than purple, more orange than not. “That’s why your eyes changed, not because of Jonathan, but because you chose us.”

“I don’t,” she shook her head, wanting to step back, but the pull to be close to him won over. “That’s not how it works.”

“Derek’s family believed that the triskele was a way to focus a wolf when they first hit the age to shift, it was a mantra. Alpha, beta, omega. One could fall or rise to any position in the pack, an alpha could become an omega, and so on,” Scott crouched down, moving his body so that he was eye level with her, not towering over but his eyes didn’t change. “Your eyes, you… not your wolf, changed from omega to beta, giving the power an orange glow instead of purple, because the blue was gone. You’re not an omega anymore, Lana, because you’ve become one of us.”

“Scott,” she wanted to protest, to tell him that he was wrong, that  _ Nick _ was wrong, but she just bit her lip and stepped back. That was when he touched her, reaching out to hold her hand.

“Hey, I know,” he wanted to tug her closer, didn’t like the distance but he could see the freak out in her eyes, “I know it’s scary because it’s been so long, but you know you belong here with us. Think about it, okay? Theo, right? You took to him so fast.”

“I can’t,” she tugged on his hand, eyes brimming with tears, “Scott, I can’t do this.” Her lips began to tremble, but the fight went out of her, she stopped trying to get away, “he got hurt because of me.”

“And you saved him,” the alpha whispered, his eyes going back to that soft brown, “you did.” He took a half step closer, trying to make sure she didn’t run away. “He called out to you, and you found him, against everything, you led us right to him.”

“But what my brother did,” she was losing the argument, she knew that, but she couldn’t give into the hope. “God, he should hate me.”

“But he doesn’t,” Theo’s voice came out soft, and Scott smirked as her eyes went wide, the tears cascaded down her face. He stepped out of the darkness, so many emotions flitting through his expression and he stopped beside Scott, not wanting to spook her. “He doesn’t hate you at all, he loves you.”

“And talking about yourself in the third person is not the way to get your point across, Raeken!” Lana snarked, but the small hiccup in her voice still made his heart jump. “I’m sorry.”

“No,” he glanced at Scott before he stepped forward, reaching out to cup her face with both hands, “no, you have nothing to be sorry for. I was the one that went after you, and I let them take me to protect you.”

“I’m not...” she shook her head, protesting but Theo interrupted.

“You are,” he smiled, his own eyes glassy with unshed emotions, “you are so worth it.”

She had nothing left, nothing to argue with and she felt Scott drop her hand just as Theo pulled her in tightly, his chest shuddering with the shaky breaths he was taking. He pressed his lips hard to the top of her head, curling his arms tightly across her shoulders, as her hands fisted into his shirt.

“Okay, guys,” Scott whispered minutes later, but there wasn’t any animosity, actually, it sounded a little like humor, “let’s go inside, it’s fucking freezing out here.”

Theo chuckled, his arms slowly slipping free, before he took both of her hands in his, eyes locked on hers as he pitched his brow and gave her a smirk. Lana moved with him, following his movement as he stepped back, one small step at a time until the three of them were inside and the door was closed tightly behind them.

All three turned to see the tired faces of most of the pack looking straight at them. Stiles held the little girl in his arms, but there was a smile on his face, as Lydia took in everything about them, including their joined hands. But it was the cheesy grin on Liam’s that had Theo smiling and looking away before he suddenly dropped his hold on her and headed for the bathroom.

“Hell of a way to wake everyone up, don’cha think?” Stiles smirked, walking up to Scott, who automatically reached for the red-head. Allison huffed, extended her arms and curled up against the alpha, who only smiled when Liam came over, took Lana’s hand in his and moved her back to the pile of warm blankets that he had just emerged from. “Looks like you’re going to have your hands full.”

“I wouldn’t want it any other way,” Scott replied, keeping his voice low as he adjusted the girl until her head was resting on his shoulder. “She honestly believes she doesn’t belong here.”

“Guess we have to change her mind,” Stiles’ amber eyes were full of adoration, something his best friend had only seen when something really good happened, and the last time was when his daughter was born. “What do you say, welcome home party?”

“Stiles, we don’t need a party,” Scott sighed, “we just need to keep her safe. With Jonathan still out there…”

“I know,” he placed his hand on Scott’s shoulder, watched Lydia move onto the mats with Malia, and gave a small wink to Derek, who was shaking his head at the whole deal. “So, now what do we do?”

“Go back to bed,” Theo added as he passed by, flopped down on the other side of the symbiote and curled up against her back, drawing her attention from Liam only enough to get her to settle back against him.

“Gonna take that from him?” Stiles raised a brow, but Scott only pressed his lips together thoughtfully and shrugged.

“Yeah, actually, I think I’ll let it go. They both need it right now,” the alpha moved towards the recliner, slipped down and let it settle back as Allison curled up against him, like a puppy might when they fell asleep.

Stiles ran his hand over Derek’s shoulder, giving him a mild push, when he flopped down beside his wife, pulling her into his arms as he nestled down into the pillows, which only got a laugh from Liam. Derek turned away from the group, tuning out the beta beside him as Isaac started up a quiet conversation with Mason and Corey about some topic that he didn’t care about, and scanned over the alpha in the chair, who wasn’t taking his eyes off the symbiote.

“You might want to take her home at some point,” Derek whispered, aiming his voice directly at Scott, who raised a brow but shrugged. “Come on, really? With all those signals flying around earlier, maybe some one on one time would be ideal.”

“We tried that,” Scott smirked, “at Peter’s.”

“Yeah, but you still weren’t alone there, you had two betas waiting in the wings,” Derek laid back, stretched, and settled in. “You two need a place with no other distractions.”

“Malia and I share an apartment,” Scott huffed, “not exactly a place to go to be alone.”

“You can stay here,” Derek volunteered. “I can stay at Peter’s with Isaac and the rest of them can all go home.”

“That’s nice of you to offer, Der, but I’m not going to put you out of your own home.” It was Derek’s turn to make an uncharacteristic noise as he raised his arm and gestured to the wild bunch that were currently piled in his room. “Yeah, okay, I get it.”

“Besides some time away, something close to normal for them, would probably be a good idea.” Scott nodded, he would totally agree with that, but there was one person he worried about because there was nothing anchoring him down if Liam went back to work. “Don’t worry about Theo, I’ll take care of him until Liam gets out of work.”

“Alright,” Scott licked his lips, nodding as he thought it over. “Then we’ll do that, but tonight. I have to check in on the Rescue.”

“Okay, then I’ll take Lana today.” Scott gave a curt nod, took a breath, and leaned back, looking at the night sky.

It was going to be a long day.

*****

All she could see was his eyes, well that and the sly smirk on his face as he held her close, wrapping his arms around her waist. Scott was  _ trying _ to get her to understand the whole deal he and Derek had made up, and while she totally got it, watching him squirm was so much more entertaining than actually giving in. That was until he bent his knees and brought his lips in perfect distance.

She slipped her fingers under his chin, catching him by the throat, something that wiped the smile right from his face and made his eyes go wide before she drew him in and kissed him softly. Scott breathed out warm against her mouth and his fingers relaxed against her hips, just a bit before she pulled away.

“I get it,” she whispered, not moving far enough away to catch his gaze again. Scott smirked, something she could feel against her lips, and then leaned his forehead against hers.

“Really?” there was relief in that one word.

“Yeah, really, you all had lives before I got here, things shouldn’t stop just for me.”

“They really should,” Theo chimed in as he let his hand slide along her back on his way towards the door, where Liam shuffled impatiently. She narrowed her eyes at him, which only got a wink from Theo. “Be good, we’ll see you later.”

“Sure,” she snapped back, “I’m not the one you should be worried about,” and both of them turned their sights to the ever growing irritation in Liam’s eyes.

“Which is why we’re going to the school; the kid needs to run off some energy.” He glanced at the back of Scott’s head, then further back towards Derek before the grin fell from his face and he gave her a quick nod and disappeared out the door, Liam close behind.

“Lana,” Scott’s voice called her back to the fact that she was still standing in his arms, “he’ll be okay.”

“I know,” she kissed him again softly and back out of his arms. “Go, before I don’t let you.”

Scott waved to Derek, gave her a quick smile, and sailed out the door.

That was the last of them, the others had disappeared earlier that morning, even Isaac, who swore he could help Mason with whatever it was they had been discussing that morning, which just left Derek and Lana.

She turned to look at the omega, who was fully dressed in his usual jeans and tee, and watched as he stood by the kitchen door, coffee cup in hand. She shrugged, walked towards him but stopped in the middle of the now empty common room.

“Now what?”

“Breakfast,” Derek grinned, and gestured towards the bathroom, “go get dressed.”

*****

Lana sat back, looked up from the plate on the table in front of her, and let out a sigh of satisfaction. Derek brought the coffee cup to his lips as he surveyed the crowd in the small roadside diner. His plate was half empty, not nearly as picked off as the pancakes that sat in front of his table mate, but the trip wasn’t for him, it was to get her out of the house.

He sat forward, lower arms on the table, and wrapped his fingers around his coffee mug as he eyed her over. Lana took in the decorations, all classic 1960’s and 70’s like something out of a place she had seen along route 66 when she was making her way across the states. She liked it, loved the comfortable atmosphere and found herself relaxing.

“Want anything else?” His gaze turned into a smirk as he saw the way her tight stance lessened.

“A nap?” She giggled, reaching for the orange juice and that widened his grin. “That was really good.”

“Good,” he really was happy, “I’m glad.”

“So,” the smile faded from her face and Derek saw it the moment it happened, “what’s this all about?”

“Yeah, you are definitely an omega,” he wasn’t being condescending, he knew she’d still be skittish when it came to trusting anyone, at least she would be until she felt at home in the pack, or with anyone besides Scott, Liam, and Theo. Lana hmmphed at the assumption and rolled her eyes. “You’ll get used to it.”

“To what?” her eyes narrowed on his, as if she weren’t quite sure what he was talking about.

“This, someone giving you something for nothing,” he gestured towards the plate in front of her, but he could tell that didn’t ease a thing inside her. “You’re part of us, a big part, and we do what we can for family.”

“Scott said my eyes shifted color because I’m not an omega anymore,” she whispered, keeping the conversation between them, and Derek only responded with a lopsided smile and a grin. “What the hell do I do with that?”

“You told me that I would always be an alpha, no matter the color of my eyes,” he sat back, placed one arm over the backrest and shrugged, “who’s to say that you haven’t always been a beta, even when your eyes turned blue?”

“It wasn’t that simple,” she looked away, her eyes going to the cars in the parking lot as she watched the people come and go. “The first time they changed color, I didn’t even notice it. It wasn’t until I came to in Marin’s house that I found out they weren’t just mine.”

“How long was that after the change?” Derek knew to be gentle and he was really trying, but most of his interaction had been within the pack, and he had established relationships with all of them, had for a long time, so he knew just how to interact. With her, he had helped control things, set her straight, he wasn’t sure how to just talk to her.

“Almost six, going on seven years,” he saw the way she shrunk into herself as her eyes took on a faraway look. “After my first shift, when I could turn, I tried to stay away from people, to control the power when everything started turning, so I never even knew the alpha was showing through, at least no one really told me. When the hunters came, I ran, hiding in the mountains until it was safe, even then, even when they found out that it was me they were after, no one told me why.”

“You really think they didn’t notice?” Derek smiled up at the waitress, who refilled both coffees before moving onto the next table. Lana glanced over at him with such a face that all he could do was smile, a bright wide smile that put her at ease. “Okay, I’ll take that as what I assume would be a  _ yeah, right _ .”

“The fact that they all avoided me is what gave it away,” he saw the expression fall from her just as another crept up, “everyone but Nick.” And Derek narrowed his eyes. He had heard her mention Turret again to Scott, and he reached for the sugar, trying to keep busy, to let her talk unprompted. “I don’t know what you would call him, cousin, friend, something, but I can remember one night after he came home where he came to my cabin.”

“That kind of friend, huh?” Derek smirked but he could hear her heart rate rising, knew she was getting on edge, and while snarky lines always got the boys to settle down, he wasn’t sure on how it would work on her, but he saw the faint blush on her cheeks.

“Maybe once upon a time, before…” she paused and looked up at him, and he knew what  _ before  _ meant. He gave her a slight smile, an apologetic one but she went on. “He was the only one who wanted contact, that seemed to know that being different wasn’t as bad as they thought, but it was because he wasn’t the same anymore. He had a new ability, not that he would tell me how or, if they had done something to him, he just said he closed his eyes one day and found out he had it.”

“The psychic link you mentioned to Scott.” Lana gave him a slight affirmative and drew in a deep breath, reaching for the coffee cup. She glanced at the table, totally unsure as to when the plates disappeared but she just shrugged it off and dumped sugar into her cup. “So, he was a friend?”

“Yes and no,” she sipped at the liquid making sure it didn’t overflow before she poured in a few creamers, which Derek just found oddly fascinating to watch. “He would try his stuff on me, see how far away we could be from each other and still make that connection, but he also let me try a few things on him.”

“Like what?” but Lana just shrugged. “The shock treatment you gave Scott the other day?” She looked at him with wide eyes and took a slow breath. He raised both his hands, eyes on hers. “Not saying anything bad about it, but it was pretty well placed, so I figured you had practiced.”

“That was more of a defense mechanism,” she said quietly and more into her cup. “The first time it happened, he had me pinned down, but my claws came out, dug in and suddenly he was across the ground.”

“But he let you do it again?” She gave a slight nod, eyes still on her coffee. “I’m glad he did, at least I know you have a way to get out of that situation without killing someone,” and that got her to look up, fear in her eyes. “I can’t quite figure out one thing though, why didn’t you use it on me the night we met?”

Lana really blushed this time, and her gaze found a point out the window that she concentrated on for several moments before it flickered in Derek’s direction. “You were kind of distracting.”

“Sure, with Scott standing right there.” Oh, he was going to have fun with this one.

“No, it wasn’t him,” she shook her head, “it was you.”

“Okay,” he sat back, “explain.”

“Have you ever met another wolf that can full shift?” She took a deep breath, steadied her heart and finally,  _ finally _ looked at him, Derek only smirked and gave a short “no” response. “Okay, so you’re fighting and suddenly, where there was fur and muscles, there was now just…” she raised her hands and brought them up in indication.

“Flesh?” The red crept down her neck.

“No, you!” she growled, “and, yeah, flesh. You had nothing on, Derek, and my claws were in you and then I realized I had nothing on and then…” he could see her getting riled up, “and then Scott was standing there. I reacted. I ran.”

He licked his lips, something that caught her attention, and smirked at her, that knowing tell that had her flustered. “So, you got distracted, I get that.” He reached for the phone on the counter as he raised his brows, eyeing her the whole time. “We’ll have to work on that.”

“What?” she paled, “no! No, there is no working on distracting nudity, Hale, not on your life.”

Derek glanced at the screen and smiled, “come on, next stop.”

“I didn’t realize this was a field trip,” she grumbled but grabbed her coat and slipped out of the seat, followed closely by the former alpha.

Derek watched the unease from over the top of the Camaro as she glanced around the parking lot. “I think you’ll like this next stop.”

“Sure, because your threat of being naked isn’t just sitting right there out in the open.” She rolled her eyes, yanked open the door and climbed in, slamming the door shut.

Derek shook his head, took a quick look around, and slid in behind the wheel. He took one look at his companion, revved the engine, shifted gears and sped out of the parking lot.


	7. Episode Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter contains scenes that may not be suitable for young adults. Discretion is advised.
> 
> Scott and Lana take some quality time to be alone and figure out just how compatible they are, but, its's up to Derek to make sure they get there in one piece.
> 
> And then, of course, there's Stiles.

Episode 1x07

Lana leaned forward, gazing out the windshield as Derek pulled onto a small, dirt driveway with a large red barn, reminding her of her aunt and uncle’s farm, but they were on the other side of town, and not any place that Lana recognized.

The person standing against the gate to a large open paddock, however, was very familiar. Derek parked the car, turned off the engine and gave her a smartass look that told her he knew exactly what he was doing. Lana wasn’t confused, well, yeah, she was, but not about where they were and more about…

“Scott?” And Derek gave her a bright grin, one that reached his eyes. “Derek, where the hell are we?”

“Come on, out of the car.” He grabbed the keys and got out himself, waiting for her by the grill as Lana moved a little apprehensively. When she stepped up beside him, he finally started moving towards the fence, Lana moving in time with him, which is good because when Scott turned from the fence, the first thing he did was determine whether she would be in danger.

The smile spread wide across his lips, giving him that teenage charm, making Lana wonder just what he might have been like in high school. He stuck his hands in his pockets, eyed her over and only reached for her when she was close enough. His hand slid out stealthily, took her fingers in his, but didn’t make a move to kiss her even when she brushed against him.

“Hi,” he said it shyly, and looked sixteen but it put her at ease and that’s all he cared about. Scott turned to Derek, and the silent communication of  _ everything alright? _ was plainly written on his face, plus the way that Derek gave a quick nod only cemented the fact. “Um,” Scott smirked, “I asked Derek to bring you by so we could check in.”

“Afraid a phone call could have been faked?” She felt the rush of blush on her cheek after realizing that he really did.

“Something like that,” Scott turned to the fence, “and there’s something I wanted you to see.” Lana stepped up, knowing that Derek was playing guard behind her, but she jumped as Scott whistled. He didn’t have time to respond, to apologize before her eyes widened with joy as the large, chestnut mare came trotting over to the fence. She reached out her hand, letting the horse get used to her being close, because it could certainly smell the predator on her, and then she placed it down upon her muzzle. “This is June, she’s a rescue from a couple counties over.”

“Is she yours?” Scott wasn’t looking at the mare, he was staring at her profile, a goofy grin plastered on his face.

“No, she belongs to the Morgans, who own this farm, but I’ve been taking care of her since they got her a year ago.” he finally looked up at the mare when it gently pushed against his head, getting his attention. “It took her a long time to even come near me so I could look her over, but she’s getting there.” He pressed his forehead to her before she backed away, going back to Lana for attention, “looks like she likes you though.”

“What happened to her?” Lana could see the white lines that ran just under her coat, like cuts, or whip marks.

“They weren’t nice people,” and it was the way that his voice dropped that told her not to worry about it, he had pretty much taken care of it. “Doesn’t matter, she’s with good ones now.” Lana watched with wide eyes as Scott went for the latch. “Wanna go in?”

“Ah, no,” she backed away, knowing just where Derek was without looking, “I don’t think that’s the best idea.”

“It’s okay,” Scott whispered, defusing her before she even got ramped up, putting the latch back on the gate. “She’s good with us.”

“Yeah, but she’s bigger than me,” Lana swallowed, and while he knew that wasn’t it at all, he nodded and put his hands in his coat pocket.

“Alright,” he smirked, “I just thought it would be nice for the two of you to meet.” Scott gestured towards the barn, stepping only when she moved to follow, but Derek stayed by the fence, quietly talking to the horse. Scott pulled the door aside only enough for the two of them to move through before closing it loosely behind her. “I spend one morning a week out here. The Morgan’s have twelve horses, but June is a special case, so I tend to baby her.”

“So, you’re a big softy?” Lana smiled, wrapping her hoodie around her tighter. Scott’s baby face went just a little red, his smile never leaving as he ducked his head, trying not to be bashful. “It’s okay to admit it. You don’t need to be an alpha all the time.”

“Alright then,” he held his hand out for her, waiting patiently as she slowly slipped her fingers into his, “then think of me right now as just Scott McCall, blushing idiot and Vet.”

“Blushing idiot?” Lana laughed, “you’re not an idiot, Scott.”

“You didn’t say I wasn’t blushing,” he shrugged, turning fully towards her. Lana let her eyes roam to his lips as he let his tongue slide along them.

“Blushing looks cute on you,” she stepped up, pressing against him.

“Yeah?”

“Definitely.” Lana dropped his hand, reached up and grabbed the lapel of his jacket as he gripped her hips.

“Maybe we’ll have to figure out a way to keep it there,” his voice had dropped to a whisper, but there was something lusty underneath it.

“I could think of a few things.”

Scott let out a breath as soon as her lips touched his. It had been so hard to keep away, to let her come to him when all he could sense was her, all the could smell was fall and freedom, but with her in his arms, he gave in, let the feeling of her just take over and the light kiss she had initiated deepen, until his chest rumbled with a low growl.

He broke away, stepping back, eyes bright red. “Shit.”

Lana let him go, not moving from the spot she rooted herself in as he paced, not all that far away, but enough to put space between them. He placed his hands on his hips, his chin down to his chest and she watched for just long enough to get annoyed before she reached out and grabbed his coat.

Scott turned to face her and what she hadn’t expected was to see how his face had shifted, not quite wolf but not human, his eyes still red. “I’m sorry.”

“For?” she questioned, moving closer, raising a hand to touch him, but he shied away.

“This,” he huffed, “I wanted Derek to bring you here so we could have a little time, but this,” he held up a hand as if to say  _ my face _ , “wasn’t… I didn’t want this to happen.”

“This is not your fault,” she spoke calmly, trying to keep the smile from her lips, “this,” and she cupped her hands on his cheeks, a feeling that calmed his nerves and let him close his eyes. “This is nature.” She pulled him close without him really noticing since he was just letting the feelings take over, and as soon as her lips touched his, he stiffened, not sure what to do but lean in and let her take charge. The moment he growled again; Lana laughed. “Don’t think you’re offending anyone but the horses by doing that,” she gently sucked on his lower lip, an action that got him to clench his fists against her side. “I find it really hot.”

“Yeah?” he laughed, feeling everything fade as he slowly opened his eyes to look down at her, and she nodded, biting on her bottom lip. “Good thing Derek’s not going to be around later.”

There was a bang on the door, which had them both look over as the man mentioned slowly opened it, leaned casually against the frame, and looked them over. “Don’t mean to interrupt.”

“Guess that’s our cue,” Scott smiled, and Lana rolled her eyes, both turning to head towards Derek. Outside by the car, Scott gave the omega a pat on the shoulder before turning to Lana. “I have to get back to the clinic, make sure my assistant hasn’t burned it down.”

“Hey, you have work to do, can’t argue with that,” she shrugged, and Scott wrapped his arms around her, kissing her gently on the temple, breathing in her scent. “So, later?”

“It’s a date,” he backed away as she slipped into the car and Lana watched him run his hand nervously through his hair, mumbling  _ “so stupid” _ as he waved.

*****

Derek drove, he didn’t say anything, didn’t propose a spot, or a place to stop, he just drove, and for some reason, being surrounded by the omega’s scent and the soft interior of the car made her feel safe. She leaned the seat back just a little, kicked off her shoes and drew her knees up before her eyes slowly closed.

The sway of the car, the bend of the roads and two hours later, she was slowly becoming aware of the lack of movement. Opening her eyes, she saw the driver’s seat empty, the engine was off, and Derek was leaning against the hood, hands tucked into the pockets of his sweatshirt to keep away the cold. He seemed to notice the moment she woke, because he glanced back in the car, gave her that trademark smirk and went back to the view.

Lana slipped on her shoes and stepped out into the blustery air, overlooking the valley, Beacon Hills, and the Preserve. She crossed her arms over her chest, tightening her hoodie, well, actually, she was pretty sure it was one of Liam’s and found a spot beside him on the hood. Derek looked down, scowling at her for actually sitting on his car, and huffed before looking out at the scene before him again.

“It’s beautiful,” she whispered, catching his attention again.

“It’s all of Beacon County,” he whispered, as if being any louder might shake it to the ground. “Hale pack land, or it used to be.”

“I’m sorry about your family,” Lana scooted closer to him, using the heat he let off to keep warm and Derek glanced down at her.

“It was a long time ago,” but there was a heaviness to his response.

“Lots of things were a long time ago, doesn’t make them hurt less.”

“Listen to you, being all…”

“Don’t finish that or I’ll kick your ass again,” she joked but it only got a hmm from him. “Seriously, why are we up here?”

“It’s a good place to spot trouble,” was all he answered before falling into a comfortable silence, and Lana was okay with that, sometimes silence was what she really needed. It had been a lot to come from being so alone to suddenly being surrounded by so many people at any given point. It was amazing that she hadn’t gone crazy already. “Wanna run?”

That shocked her out of it, and she turned her head up to look at the side eyes he was giving her. “It’s broad daylight.”

“Not down there it’s not.” Derek tilted his chin towards the thick overgrowth just below the parking lot. “No one ever comes up here since I gated off the access road,” and he held up a keyring, “so no one will find the car, or our stuff, and there’s a path that leads down to the river.”

“Are you trying to convince me? Or are you just up-selling to hear yourself talk?” Derek smirked at her snarkiess but his eyes never left her when she jumped down from the car, unzipped the hoodie and reached for the hem of her shirt. “Come on, boss man, don’t tease a girl.”

Derek shook his head, rounded the car and yanked the sweatshirt over his head. When he turned around, he was being stared down by a chestnut wolf. “A little privacy, please?”

Lana whined, lowered her head, stared for a moment more and then turned, heading towards the trail head to wait. Derek found her fascinating, juvenile, and most of all easy to be around. It was weird and freeing at the same time, and when he finally shifted, he pranced over to her, tucked his muzzle under her chin and gave her a little yelp before he took off down the hill, Lana on his heels.

They ventured through the thick canvas, surrounded by large trees, at a leisurely pace. Derek didn’t seem to be in a hurry to get anywhere, so Lana took her time sniffing around different areas, and at one point she managed to drive a rabbit from its hole, only so she could chase it around until it went back in. Derek had found himself a quiet spot to lay down and watch, but their play time was interrupted with the low howl of a wolf.

Lana pranced up beside Derek as he concentrated on the direction it had come from. There shouldn’t be any other wolves in the area, not that Derek knew of anyway, and it certainly wasn’t Theo, Malia, or any others in the pack, so he was cautious about following it. The howl wasn’t one of distress, but more of loneliness and that only meant one thing.

There was an omega in the woods.

Lana took a few steps back, ready to bolt, but Derek stepped up beside her, letting his body connect to hers in a show of protection. He nudged at her side, turned her back in the direction they came and started moving towards the car. It didn’t take as long to arrive at their destination as it did when they left, there was no stopping this time, no moments of  _ check this out _ on their travels back.

There was a strange scent around the car when they entered the parking area. Derek shifted back first, pulling the key from its hiding spot in order to unlock the door and he grabbed Lana’s clothes, leaving them on hood as she shifted, and he went back to getting dressed.

“What the hell was that?” She shivered, eyes on him as Derek looked around, “and what is that scent?” She watched the irritation creep up on his face as he stopped by the back tire and rolled his eyes, as he clenched his teeth. “Derek?”

“Whoever it was thought it would be funny to mark its territory.” She moved around the car, as Derek surveyed the area, to look at the puddle by the back tire. It had marked it alright, and now she knew why he was pissed. “Son of a bitch!” His voice carried through the vast space beyond the drop off and Lana stepped back, the wolf inside her growling, but it wasn’t until Derek turned to face her that he saw his mistake. He reached out a hand, something she backed away from. “Lana, oh, God, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to.”

“It’s okay,” she hugged herself tightly, “it was just unexpected.” She rounded the car, stepping up to her door and fought to meet his gaze. “Can we just go?”

“Yeah,” he sighed, opened his door and got in, flicking the unlock button so she could squeeze in, staying as close to the door as possible. Derek felt defeated, he had never seen her so small. “I’m…”

“Derek, it’s fine,” she paused, trying to loosen up, “you just smell angry still.”

“That might take a bit to go away,” he turned the key, slowly backed the car around, and looked at her with furrowed brows. “I am still pissed, never had another wolf mark my car.” That admission made a small smile creep up on her lips. “Oh, you find that funny? Dog peeing on my car?”

“It’s kinda funny,” she shrugged, slowly untucking from the door.

He stared at her, green eyes trying to look menacing, “it’s really not.”

*****

Derek had finally given in a long time ago and gotten that large screen TV for the loft, hiding it in a cabinet to make the room look sparse, and to hide it from any couch potato pack members, which tended to be all of them except Stiles and Lydia. Among the conversations over lunch - take-out Chinese and a list of boring TV pilots a mile long - was one about the fact that besides the two, and Mason and Corey unending love affair, the pack was pretty much single.

Derek explained that most people didn’t get, or accept, the relationship between Theo and Liam, which always seemed to end with whoever they were involved with calling foul and telling them they really should be together since they would drop anything for each other. He went on to stress that not many people understood the dynamics of anchors either, but that didn’t mean there weren’t women along the way.

Isaac hadn’t really let anyone in since Allison died, which didn’t surprise Lana much that both Scott and the beta had been romantically involved with her, they were a lot alike in ways that those outside the group wouldn’t see. However, it didn’t keep Isaac from making his way through France with some heavy baggage that had him calling Derek in the middle of the night a few years back to fly out there and take care of a  _ misunderstanding _ between the beta and the pack alpha he might have tripped over to get to a girl.

Lana found that one amusing.

Malia could be pretty dominant, even with just being a beta, that was just her personality, and the years she spent as a full-shifted coyote, but it was progress when she moved on from Scott, a mutual split because as much as they worked during times of crisis, she was way too open and free when he finally went to UC Davis.

Derek tried not to talk about himself. That didn’t work, especially when she pinned him down to the couch and relentlessly tickled him to get her answer. The guy was such a pushover, but she also didn’t move when he finally started spilling his guts, hands on her thighs as his eyes took on this faraway look.

He told her about Kate, Jennifer, and some of the other  _ women _ in his life before his evolution. He went into detail about the on-again, off-again relationship with a US Marshal named Braeden, who also was a bounty hunter, which Lana only rolled her eyes at. It was Derek after all, she wouldn’t expect anything less. And when the relationship finally ended about the same time he went to save Isaac’s ass, Derek found himself a little more careful about bringing someone into his life. He admitted to one-night stands and sating his biological needs any place but Beacon Hills, but he had sworn off bringing someone home.

When Lana decided to go into her own backstory, her position on the omega changed. She sat down on his lap, instead of resting on her knees, putting her full weight on his thighs, and while Derek knew she needed to be close, by the midpoint, his thighs had gone numb and finally flipped her off so she was sitting on her own half of the couch. She told him about the people she had stayed with, the man in California who she wasn’t sure was even still alive, and the weird hook-ups through the states that never felt quite right.

But they were back to their own couches when the alarm went off, signaling that the door on the first floor had been triggered. Derek made his way over, flicked the alarm off, and stepped up to the sliding door as Lana turned over on the couch to watch. Derek paused, hand on the slide for a second, waiting for the elevator to open before he yanked the latch down and pulled the door to the right.

Lana knew it was Scott as soon as he stepped off the elevator, but she stilled her body until he was in the room, tugging the door closed. Scott pulled off the heavy canvas jacket and dropped it over one of the desk chairs on his way by until he was sitting on the empty spot beside her that she had made.

Derek stepped out of the room, rifled around, making a terrible racket, which was probably only for his benefit. That whole  _ make sure they know you’re still here before they start sucking face _ thing. It kind of worked since the two of them had matching confused expressions when he walked out with a duffle and his jacket.

“Okay, I’m off.” Derek announced, standing behind the opposite couch, and while his words were laced with  _ do I really have to go _ , his eyes were twinkling with mischief. “Don’t make a mess, any windows or bed frames you break is on you, and absolutely do not call.” He pointed at Scott, “for anything. I mean it.”

“Wow, you’re bossy,” Lana snarked, catching the omega’s attention and Derek rolled his eyes.

“And you’re a smartass,” he gave her a small smirk as if to say  _ see, we’re good together _ before he grabbed the bag and headed for the door. “I’m grabbing Isaac and we’re headed to the cabin.”

“Right, should we need to  _ not  _ call you about anything,” Scott smiled, and Derek pursed his lips, before giving him one point with his fingers, his middle finger, and disappearing out the door, locking it securely behind him. Scott turned on the couch, just a bit, not blocking her in and placed his hand on the backrest. She looked him over, biting the corner of her lower lip as he smiled, narrowing his eyes at her. “Hi.”

“Hey, yourself,” she played shy, but there was only so long she could hold off from touching him. His scent alone was almost too much, but she longed for his hands, her body screaming that they were finally alone, but she took a deep breath in, stilled her wolf and let it out slowly. “How was work?”

“Building’s still standing,” He winked, moving a fraction of an inch closer, more than that but it felt like less. “Stiles stopped by to let me know that so far there wasn’t any more news on Jonathan, or Turret. The investigation into the whole thing on the preserve,” and yes, he purposely avoided calling it the  _ dead body _ , “was going, he just didn’t know in what direction.”

“Does he come in every day to tell you about his police work?” She always found their relationship interesting; they were so in tune with each other it was practically scary, but also one of the most powerful combinations she had ever had the pleasure to witness.

“Only when he’s bored,” Scott shrugged, but then found himself nodding, “yeah, so, every day.” He watched her face, the way she let her eyes roam over him, took in the width of his shoulders, down across his chest until she stopped at his waist, before focusing on his hands. “Lana,” she flashed a deep red when she looked up and in an instant it was gone. “What do you need?”

She gave him a quick shake of her head, and looked away, but that only made him move in, one hand on the armrest behind her, one still on the back above her head, and while she would feel like a caged animal with anyone else, Scott made her feel safe.

“Look at me,” he whispered, and instead she closed her eyes, clenching her jaw, “please.”

That got her, the shy way he asked, like he wasn’t sure of what the hell to do himself, and she did, she opened them up to look at him, really take in how he towered above her, but not in a threatening way. She breathed in through her mouth, taking in the scent of him, almost as if she could taste it, and shifted her legs around him as he knelt there.

Scott looked down, watched the way she moved, sliding lower onto the couch, and the lost look in his eyes only told her that he didn’t have a damn clue either, not until she reached up, let her fingers move up from his chest to behind his neck and pull him down.

His breathing was heavy, uncertain, but he lowered enough so that he was still hovering over her, still able to look into her eyes as she tipped her head back, searching for any point of contact. When she bared her skin, Scott felt the vibration in his chest, like the wolf was groaning, and he pressed his nose just behind her ear, only hard enough for her to know it was there.

“If I do anything you don’t want,” he whispered, lips against the shell of her ear, and he heard her gasp, “just say so, I’ll stop.”

She gave him a quick nod, hands moving down his neck, over his chest, lightly flickering over his nipples as she came to rest on his hips, but as his lips moved, kissing along the hot flesh of her neck, nose tight against her, she slipped her hands under his shirt, finding the jut of his hip bone, producing a growl this time.

Lana pushed the shirt up, fingers dancing over the ripple of muscles underneath it as she turned her face towards him, searching for a kiss, something he was quite happy to provide as his lips caught hers, hand coming over from the armrest, and he placed his gently on her cheek. Lana whimpered, rose her leg higher and slipped her barefoot between his legs, feeling the weight of him as he lowered down, pressing against her.

She could feel him, all of him, including the hard ridge that strained his jeans, and he moaned as he slid against her, a slow tease as he moved his hips. Lana gasped, opening her mouth to take him in, as his tongue swept along the seams of her lips, and his hand tangled in her hair.

Needing skin on skin contact, Scott reached down from the backrest, grabbed the hem of her shirt and tugged it upwards, connecting her stomach with his but never breaking the kiss. It wasn’t dirty, still hadn’t gotten that deep, but as their tongues dueled and bodies slid together, even just enough to cause that friction, the temptation to turn it on its head was quickly rising.

“Take it off,” Scott whispered, giving the fabric just a bit of a tug, but it wasn’t an order, in fact, it was almost a plea, and Lana nodded, reaching between them to yank it up.

Scott sat back; eyes locked on hers for a moment before he didn’t have the strength to hold back anymore. She wasn’t wearing a bra, there was no point with how many times she shifted in the course of a day, and he took in the expanse of her bare skin, the way her breasts rose and fell with her labored breathing.

He reached down, placed his hand on the curve of her waist, and slowly gilded it up, fingers spread, feeling as much of her as he could, until he could cup her, leaning down slowly, her eyes locked on his, teasing as he flicked out his tongue at her hardened nipple. Lana groaned, as he circled, and then suddenly sucked it hard into his mouth, teeth barely grazing the skin, and that groan became a low moan, echoed by a faint rumble and she arched up into his mouth.

Her fingers, blunt claws, gripped the shoulders of his shirt, holding onto anything not to hurt him as he moved on, having thoroughly teased it to a bright red before switching to the other one.

“Scott,” it was a whine, a  _ do something, I’m so close _ kind of sound that had him pressed against her again, trying to ease the pain of how hard he was.

When he sucked down hard on one, pinching the other lightly between his fingers, she cried out, something that nearly had his wolf growling and he gave in, let the red burn in his eyes and he looked up at her. Lana shook, her whole body was on fire, there wasn’t anything she could do to calm it but when she saw the blunt ends of his fangs, the power behind his eyes, saliva coating his lips, she shifted her hips up, looking for release.

Scott growled, placed his arm across her hips, keeping her down and that in itself made her wolf respond. The deep red shift, growing crimson in color, and all the alpha above her did was smile and lower his lips to her sternum. Lana grasped his hair, tilted her head back on the couch and let the red fade into everything.

She hadn’t bothered with jeans, they weren’t comfortable on her body, not with the wolf shifting underneath, so it didn’t take much for Scott to grip around the waist of the sweats and follow them down with his mouth. First over her navel, tongue dipping in to get a taste of the saltiness of her skin, before he lavished her hip bones, nipping to leave his mark.

Above him, she begged, a soft mantra of  _ please _ whispered out as he caressed her body, finally shifting so they were off her legs and onto the floor. The alpha stopped, hovered above her stomach once more as he took in  _ her _ scent. He was skirting the edge of self-control, losing it with every breath, the feeling to bite, to sink in and make her his was nearly overwhelming, and he let his own mind settle as his lips found skin.

_ “The sun, the moon, the truth,” _ he breathed against her skin, opening his lips wide enough to whisper out the words but not so much to sink his teeth in.  _ “The sun... the moon... the truth.” _

The moment his tongue flicked out, tasting her, brushing over that small bundle of nerves hidden by a dark patch of hair, she bowed off the couch, hands tightened, twisting the curls of his hair and Scott snarled, sinking lower, dipping his tongue in. He was in heaven, the simple scent of her would never be enough, not without the taste, and he wrapped his hand around her thigh, pulling her tightly to his mouth.

Lana cried out, her voice wrecked, both human and wolf, one in the same, and she squirmed against him, feeling his fingers tease along her lips as he shuffled on the couch, the faint sound of a zipper catching her attention and Lana moved, her head whipped up to stare at him, still panting from his attention. Scott was kneeling back on the couch, jeans down around his ass, but he was still leaning into her thighs.

She shook her head, just a bit, whispering, “I can’t.” His focus was on her face, now, the panic in her eyes, slowing his touch, not only on himself but her as well, but she was locked on where his hand was, how his arm moved, and she knew he had his length in his fist. “I’m sorry,” she gave another minute shake of her head, “I can’t do that, not yet.”

He flashed a soft smile up at her, something light and reassuring as he whispered, “It’s okay.” His wolf, his alpha voice was soft as his tongue flicked out at her again, eyes up only on hers, and Lana let her eyes flutter closed for a moment under his attention, and Scott settled heavy-laden sights on his target. “I just want you, anyway I can get you.”

He surged forward, capturing her in his mouth, sucking hard on her clit and Lana ground her teeth, head falling back as she cried out. Scott was relentless, knowing just how to touch, tease, and bring her higher, the shake of the couch told her he wasn’t far behind as the heat built in her stomach, and she rose up to meet his eyes, the orgasm roared through her.

Lana slumped down on the cushions, the alpha above her had reluctantly let her go, but he was still there, head dipped down, hand stroking his cock in an effort to follow, but he was growling, panting, and whining at the same time. She reached out and grabbed his hair once more, tugging his head up. Scott’s red eyes were filled with anger and need, and she sat up more, leaning him back so he was sitting on his heels, hand slowing in its effort.

Lana towered over him, his head tilted back, lips wide open and she kissed him softly, teasing as she reached down and wrapped her hand around his silky stiffness, stroking up softly, hoping she had a good enough grip. The first touch was always trial and error, but the noise it trembled from him silenced her fears.

Scott bared his fangs, eyes screwed tightly shut as she pulled and twisted, a move that had him gasping and she quickly found a rhythm that had him groaning, claws barely digging into her skin as he tried to fight off the need to draw blood.

“Lana,” he moaned, “oh, Go…” but it was lost in the way he suddenly stiffened, eyes wide as his lips parted and his breath shook out, warmth coating her hand as he came, with low groans that Lana wanted to hear for the rest of her life. His hand went to her wrist, cutting her off from stroking the oversensitive head and he leaned forward, forehead against her shoulder, as they both gave into the euphoric feelings that being close rushed over them. Scott breathed out one word, “Jesus.”

*****

They were quiet around each other, slowly moving towards the bathroom, eyes only for the other as Lana stripped off his shirt, a small smile on his face when she gripped the jeans and boxers he was wearing and let them fall to the floor. Scott held out his hand, gathering her fingers in his as he tugged her back into the warmth of the shower, and backed her up under the stream.

There weren’t any words exchanged, there was no need, they could feel everything through the bond, stronger now than it had been when he walked in the door. It was almost as if he could hear her thoughts, catch small glimpses of what was going on inside her head, but she was only thinking of him, of the way his body felt pressed against her. The cool tiles on her back as he braced her against them, kissing her softly, more intimately than anything she had ever felt before and when she turned the tide on him, pushing him back so he had no choice but to stay, his eyes drifted closed and just let the feeling of her hands on him take over.

Warm, sated, and clean, the two found their way to Derek’s room, the bed had been stripped of his sheets, replaced by new ones right from the store, like the omega knew that was where they would end up and didn’t want to disturb them with his scent, but they stayed close, his leg locked over hers as she wound her way around him, hands linked between them and Scott watched her eyes drift closed.

She was like nothing he had ever come across before, sparking things inside him that lay dormant for so many years, since Allison, since her death. No one had ever compared to his first love, but this… she was coming in pretty damn close. Her scent surrounded him, soaked into his pours, became part of him, and he knew he would never let her go, he would defend her with his life, and that was… terrifying.

The night ticked on, and Scott slowly untangled himself from the sleeping symbiote, moving slowly out of the room, leaving the door wide open as he slipped, barefoot and only in sweats, to the kitchen. It was sometimes after midnight, but his stomach had told him it was dinner time, or breakfast, he wasn’t sure there was really a difference at this point, but he needed something, or the loud gurgling sound was just going to wake her up.

Sniffing at the left-over Chinese, Scott shook his head and put it back. Derek had the weirdest taste in cuisine, but as he pilfered thought the stock of food in the fridge, the whole realization of the night hit him and he stood, a large grin on his face. They hadn’t been  _ together _ , there wasn’t any actual sex involved, but he felt lighter than he had in days, and he shook at the memory of her hands touching him.

Of course, that was when the phone in the other room went off. No noise, just the vibration of it on the coffee table where he left it, and to his heightened hearing, it was enough. Scott made a break for it, swiping it off the table before the next set of rings and quickly put it to his ear.

“Stiles, it’s one o’clock in the morning,” Scott whispered, but there wasn’t any anger in it, in fact he was just a little worried.

“Yeah, I know, sorry,” the deputy sighed out, not exactly awake himself. “Listen, I know you and Lana were having some one on one time, that whole honeymoon phase, but…”

“Yeah, come over, I’ll leave the door unlocked.” Scott smirked, like he could tell Stiles no on anything.

“No, no, no, don’t do that,” he huffed, “keep it locked until I get there, just... I’ll call you when I get out of the elevator.”

“Hey, you okay?” there was panic in the human’s tone and Scott didn’t like it at all.

“Sure, great,” Scott could hear him moving around the room. “Fifteen, okay? Put a pot on, will ya?” and there was the pause, Scott was waiting for it, “and some clothes, definitely some clothes. Lots of clothes, layers if you have to.” The engine of the Jeep was recognizable in the background. “Fifteen.”

And it was exactly fifteen minutes later when Scott opened the door, coffee mug full of the hot liquid just the way his anchor liked it, to see Stiles standing there, dressed casually, jeans, tee-shirt and old, red hoodie.

“Oh, thank God,” he sighed and took the mug, drinking a large gulp of it down as Scott closed the door, instantly regretting some of his life choices, like that one. “Ow, motherfu…” he turned and looked at Lana, who stepped out of the room, rubbing tired eyes, dressed only in a very long - but not exactly thick - shirt, “... Ker… what is it with you wolves and your blatant disregard for appropriate attire?” Stiles snapped but Scott only shook his head, a smile on his face. “Is that even Scott’s shirt?”

“It’s Derek’s,” Lana shrugged, and Stiles whipped his head around to face the alpha, who crossed his arms and shrugged, “what? Scott’s got wet in the shower.”

Stiles went into a coughing fit, something that made his friend step forward, taking the mug from his hand as the human set eyes on the symbiote again. Lana gave him an exasperated roll of her eyes and went back into the room.

“Bring him a shirt too while you’re at it,” the human huffed as Scott put a hand on his shoulder and led him to the couch, his amber eyes going to the wolf’s. “You know she’s going to kill me, right?”

“I know,” Scott whispered, the laughter obvious in his tone.

“And you know how Lana’s going to kill me? My wife, my banshee  _ wife, _ is going to find out that your  _ girlfriend _ is walking around half naked, and she’s going to kill me just on that alone. Justifiable homicide.” Scott sat him down on the couch, pulled the table closer and put his mug on a coaster. “This isn’t funny, Scott! I’m a walking dead man.”

“Lydia isn’t going to kill you,” Scott smirked, sitting by his friend. Stiles sobered up, sat up straight and looked him over.

“Put a shirt on,” he grumbled quietly, rolling his eyes as he reached for his coffee, just as said shirt hit him in the back of the head. Stiles stared straight ahead, debating on his response but he took a deep breath and yelled out to Lana. “Thank you!”

Scott gave him a minute to get situated, which meant he took his time pulling on the borrowed shirt, inhaling the scent. He thought about how scandalized Stiles would be if the man knew it didn’t smell one bit like Derek, but Lana, meaning it was the one she had just been wearing. He held back because he could see by the way Stiles was practically dancing that teasing him wasn’t the best thing at that moment.

“Stiles,” he spoke softly, trying not to spook the man, who was sitting with his hands tented over his nose, legs bouncing. He reached out, put his hand gently on his arm, catching his attention, and sighed, “tell me what’s going on.”

He slowly turned in his seat and sighed, “Sprague, the woman we found in the woods, she wasn’t human.”

“Okay, and we also found out that she was a sort of calling card, right?” Scott whispered, looking back at the room, “for Jonathan?”

“Right, but that’s the thing,” Stiles took a deep breath, “Scott, she wasn’t a werewolf either.”

“Alright, so what was she?” Stiles cleared his throat and rolled his eyes.

“As far as we can ascertain, she was a symbiote.”

Scott slowly stood, shaking his head, fists clenched. “No, that doesn’t make any sense,” he fixated on a spot on the floor as he paced, “the only two we know are…”

“Lana and Jonathan, brother and sister.” Stiles finished for him, “same pack.”

“So, she was…”

“Their packmate,” but Scott shook his head again. “Listen, buddy, I know it’s hard to wrap your head around, but this is way beyond anything we’ve come across. This means that whoever kidnapped kids from her pack all those years ago just…”

“Let them go,” Scott finished this time, but something about that didn’t feel right.

“Or brainwashed them, like Jonathan.” Stiles shrugged.

“That doesn’t explain why she was in Beacon Hills. As far as I know she’s worked at the hospital for about four years, nothing popped up on the radar, even Lydia didn’t see this coming.” Scott flopped down on the couch across from him, his eyes going to the bedroom door. “We can’t tell her.”

“We might not have a choice, they’re related.”

“She doesn’t remember,” Scott whispered, “she saw the picture of her, but there wasn’t any recognition.”

“That’s not surprising,” Stiles scooted closer to the edge, closing the space between them. “This isn’t good.”

“None of this is good, Stiles,” Scott huffed and sat back, the side of his finger going to his lips as his thoughts went in every direction. “What would this matter anyway? We know that Jonathan did it, used it to call us out, but what does it have to do with Lana?”

“Um, everything,” the amber-eyed man’s brows went up. “Scott, this is not keeping her safe.”

The alpha let out a long breath, “I know, but what do we do. The only thing we can keep doing  _ is _ this.”

“And what? Have someone with her every day for the rest of her life?”

“Or until we catch Jonathan,” but that brought his eyes up to his friend. “We need to get rid of him.”

“Sure, and how do we do that? Get in touch with Turret, the man haunting her dreams, tell him that we need his help catching the bad guy? He  _ is _ a bad guy, and you know how that goes. Bad guys always team up against the heroes.” He watched the way Scott’s eyes lit up at this suggestion and shook his head, frustrated. Stiles stood, taking the now lukewarm cup of coffee and headed into the kitchen. The alpha rolled his eyes, pushing to his feet as he glanced over at the bedroom, giving Lana a small smile as she leaned on the door before he followed the man. With his back to Scott, Stiles ran a hand through his hair, spiking it more. “Well, if you’re going to do that then we really need a plan. A good plan.”

“So,” Scott shrugged, leaning his forearms on the counter, “we call in Argent.”

“You do know we’re more than capable of coming up with something on our own, right?”

“Yeah, but we don’t have that kind of fire power.” He was right, Stiles knew it. He turned, placed a new mug down, and slid it over to Scott, waited for the alpha to take it before going back to making his own coffee again, putting his back to his friend. “She’ll be okay.”

“Right,” Stiles nodded, “because it always works out,” but he couldn’t help but think of Lydia’s prediction. There was something about it that bothered him. It wasn’t that Lana and the boys were involved, but something about Scott lying on that stump didn’t feel right. He looked up, caught Scott’s brown eyes, “she’ll be fine, great, swell,” he sighed and finally let out his fear, “but what about you?”

*****

Scott slipped into bed, finally convincing Stiles that nothing was going to happen to him that night and practically shoving the man out the door. He hated to make him leave, but he knew one thing for sure, if Lydia didn’t actually kill him over Lana, she might do it because of the way he was constantly leaving the house in the middle of the night. Of course, that said a lot since no matter the time, or the reason, he always ended up with Scott.

The woman beside him was fast asleep, but that didn’t make the smile on his face any less wide when he noticed that she was wearing his shirt, the one she had told Stiles was wet, and he narrowed his eyes, wondering what her game was. She had purposely taken a clean shirt from Derek’s closet, slipped it on and made sure her scent was all over it before tossing it out to him on the couch, and he got it. She was wearing his scent, he was wearing hers, not that Stiles would catch on, but it made the wolf inside him want to howl.

Lana turned on her side, putting her back to him, and Scott drew in a deep breath, sat up and stripped off his shirt before moving up behind her, bending against her body so that he could wrap around her as much as possible. He placed his head down on his arm, reached over and moved the hair from her neck and pressed his nose against her spine, drawing in her scent, letting it wash over him as sleep dragged him down.

*****

“No!” was all she heard, echoing in the night, the sound of gunfire followed, three shots, and Lana opened her eyes to what looked like a slow-motion horror movie. Scott stood in front of her, hands on his stomach as the stain of red spread, one right above his heart.

“ _ Theo! GO! _ ” Even his voice seemed off, terrified as blasts from the incendiary arrows hit the trees around him.

Liam was by Scott’s side as the alpha fell to his knees, hand up grabbing the back of the kid’s jacket but even trying to drag the beta down wasn’t working. Liam roared, a sound that shook the trees around them, calling out any and all enemies as he stood in front of Scott.

Lana could barely feel the arms that wrapped around her waist, didn’t really hear the words that Theo was yelling to his friend as he lifted her from her feet, taking her away from the alpha and his first, but it didn’t matter because all Lana saw was the bright blast of light and then darkness.

The world around her was made up of a high pitched noise, like the dryer going off somewhere, signaling the end of a cycle, but when she forced herself to focus, everything came back. The woods around her, the moon shining high above the canopy, and Theo, blue eyes wide and unseeing beside her.

The line of blood that dripped from his open lips was slow, dark, and stopping, his pupils never dilated, his heart was silent, and Lana moved towards him, her own bloodstained hands touching his cheek, feeling the warmth run out of it.

She pushed to her feet, a wave of dizziness made her unsteady and the buzz slowly faded, until all she could hear was the scream.

Turning in the direction Theo had been attempting to take her away from, Lana saw Liam kneeling beside Scott’s deathly still form and she rushed over, tripping as she moved until she was by his side, but when the beta turned towards her, she knew where the screaming had been coming from.

His eyes, those beautiful blue eyes were gone, blackened pits surrounded by charred skin as his face bled, and his hand shook reaching out for her. Lana fell beside him, dragging him into her arms as he coughed, crimson liquid leaking from his lips and she could hear him sobbing. He looked down, not that he could see what he was doing, and patted his stomach as his hands fought to find where the blood that coated his shirt came from.

Lana shook, eyes drawn to the savage line of destroyed flesh along his torso, but it was that last cough, the one that sounded as if he were drowning that made her look up again. Liam mouthed her name, his lips trembling as his whole body shook, and then suddenly, he went still.

She could hear her own voice above the havoc, the sound of pleas and begging filling the air as gunshots and shouting surrounded her. She didn’t even hear them approach, only looked down to recognize the small red dots on her chest. Her eyes followed the brightest one straight up to the sight of the rifle aimed at her head.

She lowered Liam to the ground, found her footing to stand over the fallen alpha, extended her claws and bared her fangs as she roared out, a deep, pain filled sound that traveled through the woods and then the face behind the gun came into full view, and Jonathan grinned, his eyes flickered, amphibian-like in so many ways, before his finger pulled the trigger. 

*****

Lana sat up quickly, let her eyes scan the room around her, before she turned and looked down at the body behind her. She hated nightmares, more than anything else in the world, they were the worst, but she had grown accustomed to them and this wasn’t the first time her brother had taken her out on a dreamscape. It was, however, the first time her pack had died. Lana laid back down, shifted her body back, closing the space that her movement had created and let the feel of the man behind her ease the tension from her body.

“That was a bad one,” Scott whispered, sliding his arm under her neck so that she could use it as a pillow while he pressed his lips against her shoulder. “You okay?”

“If my brother was dead, I would be so much better,” she snarked, taking hold of the hand that rested over her body before bringing it to her lips, “but it wasn’t the worst one.”

“Want to talk about it?” he mumbled as his lips trailed across the heated flesh that the extra-large shirt she wore exposed, but Lana just shook her head.

They fell into a quiet comfort, neither one moving or saying anything to break the peace, but as Lana lay there staring at nothing but the black wall, her body became twitchy, and she finally sighed. “What time is it?”

“Trying to get rid of me?” Scott joked, shifting so that he was above her, and Lana rolled onto her back, catching the way his smile seemed to light up the room.

“Trying to keep you,” she whispered, touching his face softly as the smile shifted into something loving and he settled down against her. Scott’s gaze roamed from her eyes to her lips and back up again as he bit his, a nervous habit that she found very erotic. “Kiss me.”

“What?” he chuckled, “I haven’t even brushed my teeth.”

Lana laughed, tangling her hands in his unruly hair because that had been left to dry without even a second thought and the curls were so much more pronounced now. “I don’t care.”

“Well, alright, it’s your funeral,” the words were barely there as he caressed her bottom lip, hand coming up to pull the same move she loved to do on him, a light touch as he wrapped his fingers under her chin to keep her head still. “I had coffee before bed, so consider yourself warned.”

Lana tipped up against his hand, which had him narrowing his eyes, “Scott.”

“Okay, okay,” he teased, bringing his mouth to hers, a soft subtle kiss that she closed her eyes for, letting him take over, be everything in that moment and when he deepened it, pressed harder, pulled her lip between his to nip at, she let out a sigh of contentment. Scott shifted again, this time back between her legs, boxing her in with his weight, and his free hand traveled down her body, taking in her curves over the shirt until he was able to find the hem of it and slip under. “Remember,” he breathed out, “tell me to stop.”

Lana nodded, but her concentration was on where that hand was going, where his fingers were searching, and all thoughts of  _ stopping _ went out the door the moment he touched her just above her hip. Lana gasped, and opened her eyes slightly to see the intrigued look on his face just as his thumb traced over that same spot again. An electric pulse flashed through her, and she shook her head, trying to get him not to stop.

“Oh,” he winked, “what’s this?”

Her breathing became harder the more he did it, and the more he played with just that one area, an erogenous zone she didn’t even know she had, the more turned on she became. It only made her yank his hair, pulling him down into a dirty kiss, complete with tongue, sloppy, wet, and not even close to what she needed. Scott moaned against her mouth, hand leaving her hip as it slid between them.

She cried out the moment he touched her clit but he wasn’t aiming for that this time, he could tell she was close, could smell it on her skin and as much as he wanted to make her shake, he needed her to get off as much as she did. He slid a finger deep inside her, mimicking sex as he ground his hips down, and Lana growled.

“There’s my girl,” Scott cooed in her ear as he moved his kisses, took in the fact that her head was back, exposing her neck to him and he slipped his hand away from that precarious position at her throat to grasp the sheet beside her head.

Inside her, his fingers curled, searching even as his hips created the rhythm that they followed. He could feel the claws on his back, the bite of their edges she dug deep and he knew she was almost there. His fangs sprouted, sharp against his lips and blood dripped down on to her skin,

He clenched his jaw, so close to the curve of her neck and mumbled. “The sun,” it was barely a word, and he opened his mouth, licked over the sharpened points as he bucked against her hard, edging her closer. “The moon,” he sighed, feeling them dull as he focused on the way she felt underneath him. “The truth.”

And then he bit down, drawing a snarl from her as she chased the fire in her body, but all Scott did was suck, creating a deep purple bruise on her skin, complete with a barely there set of human teeth marks. He panted against her, head against her collarbone as he slipped his fingers free and felt her stretch out under him, claws receding on his back. 

He shook as he moved, getting up from the bed before she could even phantom what was going on and he made his way across the common room to the bathroom, not bothering to shut the door. Scott braced himself on the edge of the ceramic basin, fingers curled around it, as he stared into his bright red eyes.

“Scott?” her voice was filled with worry, her scent reeked of anxiety as he tried to control the wolf and his breathing. She moved up behind him, watched him flinch as she reached out, but he didn’t turn on her when she let her fingers trace down the scratched on his back. “Talk to me.”

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, turning towards the wall, putting his back to the cold tile as he slid down to sit, and pulled his legs up, resting his arms on his knees, but instead of looking at her, he let his chin drop to his chest, “I’m so sorry, Lana.”

“For what?” The words were tender, and he could feel the heat of her at his side but when he tipped his head back, glancing at her shoulder, he only saw the blood that dried on her skin.

“I almost bit you,” and his voice trembled with fear, eyes slowly rising to hers, but while he expected her to be angry, to turn him away, he only saw confusion. Scott knew his power had receded, that he was now looking at her through human eyes, and there was an uncertainty that she showed in hers that was probably mimicked in his.

“Is that what that was?” Not exactly what he expected to hear when she finally looked him dead in the eye, “the words? The sun, the moon, the truth? You were trying to control it?”

“Listen,” he turned towards her, taking her hand, “I almost  _ bit _ you.”

“Yeah, I know,” she seemed completely okay with it, “I was there, but why are you so afraid?” Scott sighed, let the fight go out of his body and leaned back against the wall again. “I mean, yeah, there’s the whole poison thing. Well… maybe? We don’t know how my blood will affect you but did you… not want to bite me?”

“Do you understand what it means if I do?” Scott growled, not that he was angry at her, but he was aggravated at himself. Lana wrapped her arms around her knees as she pulled them up, and the fact that she wasn’t touching him was so much worse than he thought it would be.

“Honestly,” she shrugged, but shook her head, “no.”

“It’s a blood bond, like Liam,” Scott let his eyes close and ran a hand down his face, the wrong hand and he breathed her in, growling at himself as he suddenly pushed to his feet.

Lana slowly followed, watching him from the mirror as he twisted the knob and started to wash his hands, mumbling nonsense under his breath, and she tried to hold back the smile, knew this should be something serious, but that was when she saw the hickey slowly fading, and she brought a her hand up to her neck.

“It’s a mating bond,” she spoke so softly he barely heard it but when he turned off the water and moved to face her, he watched the way her hand traced over the light pink spot on her skin, before her eyes went to him. “That’s what it is, right? A mating bond?”

Scott drew in a deep breath, held out a hand for her and gave her a slight shrug before she took it and the two of them made their way up to the book loft. Lana watched as he moved around the table, grabbing two books off the shelf before he came back to stand beside her.

He hated Derek so much for this.

Licking his lips, Scott opened the mythology book that Derek had shown him the first time they had talked about mates and slid it over to her.

“The history behind it isn’t great, but it says that when true mates met, their pull is so strong that they can’t resist the urge to mark their partners, usually with a mating mark, here,” his fingers traced the now perfect skin of her neck and he watched her eyes roll just a bit as her body shivered, another erogenous zone, and Scott shook off the need to smile. “So,” he moved just around the edge of the desk, putting at least a foot of distance between them. “It signifies their unity, and in rival packs, it bonds the wolves as well. There’s no taking it back, once it’s done. Breaking the mating bond is death for both of them.”

“So, you’re telling me,” she cleared her throat, standing up straight as she crossed her arms, a small teasing smirk on her lips, “that you and Liam…”

“What?” he snapped, his voice croaking with a high-pitched noise, his eyes wide, “no! Stop that, this is serious,” but he watched her smile widen. “I told you that’s a blood bond.”

“Still a bond,” Lana winked.

“Between an alpha and beta,” Scott was getting flustered and she knew what she was doing because he couldn’t even figure out what to do with his hands, going from his hips, to crossing his arms, back to the table. “It’s just different.”

“So, you calmed yourself down so that you wouldn’t bite me?” Lana came around the corner of the table, and Scott took a step back.

“Yes,” he admitted, but her coming closer wasn’t helping him at all, and the smirk on her face when he met the rail, trapped, said that he was in trouble now. “Lana.”

“Do you want to?” And that kind of threw him off.

“What?” Scott’s face thoroughly confused was damn adorable, and he finally settled on putting his hands on the railings beside him as he nodded profusely. If he thought about it too long he would really get his heart rate up, so he debated a moment before he looked up at her from under his lashes, the curls of his hair covering most of them. “Yes.”

“Okay,” was all she said, giving him a bit of a shrug before she turned and went down the stairs.

Scott let everything go, let the jelly legs he had suddenly given out as he leaned back against the rail, and he closed his eyes. “Wait,” he opened them quickly, “okay?” He turned around, looking over the railing at her as she moved towards the kitchen. “That’s it? Okay?”

“Yeah,” Lana’s smile was magic, and it was real, probably the most genuinely happy he had ever seen her. “We should probably find out if you’re going to die or go deaf or something first though.”

“Well, yeah,” Scott sighed, “there’s that.”

“Good,” she placed her hand on the door sill and winked up at him, “coffee?”

“Please,” he returned the childish grin she gave him and let his head fall to his hands as he drew in a breath. His thought went to so many different places, all with Lana in them and looked out the window at the rising sun, her response on his grinning lips. “Okay.”

Now, how do they find out if she’s going to end up killing him, without actually killing him.

*****

Derek opened the door and instantly felt a chill rush though him. His first thought was that the windows had been smashed, that someone had come in and taken the pair, but when he stepped in, he saw something completely different. Lana was walking out of the laundry room with a pile of sheets in her hands, and Scott was just reaching out the window to shut them.

There wasn’t a section of cushions out of place, and the loft smelled like the fall air he had walked in from. Dropping his bags on the ground, he stopped and just stared because  _ what the hell? _

“Okay, what did you break?” And both wolves stopped in their tracks. This wasn’t right, they were both fully dressed too, and he pointed at one then the other. “You guys have a fight or something? You look awful guilty.”

“Told you we should have just left it,” Lana huffed, dropping the fresh linen on the table.

“It would have given us a few more days,” Scott winked and that wasn’t a good sign.

“Oh, great, you teamed up,” the omega stripped off his jacket, walked past Lana, taking in a big whiff of her scent, completely confused, and tossed it in his bedroom, staring at the bed, which was neatly made. “Okay,” he turned to look at the pair, “what have you done with the real Scott McCall, and how badly do you want to keep him?”

“Funny,” Scott mocked, “ha ha!” The alpha walked up to Lana, drew her in by the waist as he kissed her passionately, leaving her a bit breathless as he whispered softly in her ear things that Derek really didn’t want to hear anyway and grabbed his coat, before turning to Derek with a cheesy smirk. “She’s all yours,” and he winked at Lana, “see you after work.”

With that, he was out the door, sliding it shut behind him. Derek pitched a brow, glanced around the room for a second before letting his sights land right on Lana. “So, do we need to have that whole talk about  _ sex and Scott _ again?”

She blushed a deep red, huffed at him, and headed for the kitchen, a reaction he had expected, smiled at and headed back into his bedroom. When he returned, everything in its place, he found Lana sitting on the couch, knees tucked up against her with a coffee in her hand, but it was the mythology book on the coffee table that caught his attention.

He slowly sat down across from her, just on the edge of the cushion and reached for the book, eyes on her the whole time, but when it was before him, he glanced down at a page he knew well. He had studied the book several times, learning all he could about his friend’s situation but that didn’t stop him from going wide-eyed, or looking up at her from under his brow with confusion written all over his face.

“A mating bond?” Derek’s tone wasn’t annoyed, or angry, it was just Derek. “So, you sailed past the first fifty dates and went right to the whole shotgun wedding thing?”

“It’s, ah,” Lana looked unsure herself. “It’s something that almost happened so we talked about it, and now that he’s not here,” the look in her eyes screamed at his protective side and all he wanted to do was wrap his arms around her, but he kept still, “I’m terrified.”

“Of what exactly?” Derek was more than curious. “It looks like things are headed that way so why be afraid?” Lana put the cup down, her feet hit the floor and she leaned forward, elbows to knees as she stared right into his eyes and let her eyes glow. They weren’t anywhere close to orange, or purple, but a deep crimson red. “Oh, yeah, that might be something worth looking into.”

“Why do they keep changing color?” She sighed, sitting back with a huff, arms crossed over her chest. Both looked up as the alarm went off and Derek slowly stood. “It’s Theo?”

“How do you know? The alarm’s for the front door on the first floor?” He was genuinely curious and watched as she never took her eyes off that book.

“Chemo signals,” she let one shoulder rise and fall, “he knows Scott and I were here… alone.”

Derek understood that, but he wasn’t sure why the beta had shown up. His fingers pressed the green button, stopping the alarm. “And why is he here now?”

“I asked him to come,” she peeked a few times at the omega, waiting for some backlash but Derek just nodded and opened the door. “He’s the only one who knows where my clothes are, as much as I love you guys, I can’t keep walking around in your sweats.”

He smirked as Theo rounded the corner and stopped in the doorway, eyes right on the symbiote as Derek grabbed him by the shoulder and hauled him in, closing the door behind him, but it was Theo’s large blue eyes that made him laugh, then it faded, he needed to shake the chimera out of his stupor, so he simply stated, “heat’s expensive.”

Lana slowly stood, and Derek shook his head as the chimera dropped the bag, exhaled as loud as he could, and closed the space between them in a matter of moments, gathering her up in his arms as if he hadn’t seen her in months instead of twenty-four hours. The former alpha knew every move Theo was making, even if he had turned and walked into the kitchen to give them some privacy.

Theo would bury his face against her neck, draw in her scent, make sure she was completely fine and unharmed. Just from that small gesture alone, he could pick up danger, fear, and any injury that she would have previously sustained through the scent of pain, but when the shaky and still audible breath left him, Derek knew all was well.

They were still locked in an embrace, Lana up on her tiptoes, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck, Theo right where Derek had pictured, nose against her skin, one arm high with his hand in her hair, the other low, bracing her against him. But, he hadn’t expected to see the bright gold of a warning in the boy’s eyes, even if he shrugged it off.

“Coffee?” He raised the cup, watched as Theo’s eyes went to it, hesitated and gave a minute nod. “Then you’re going to have to let her go,” and there was the shake, which only made Derek smile. “You have all day to do that, come on and have coffee.”

“Wait,” Lana backed away, just enough so she could look at the omega, “what do you mean?” Theo took her hand, released her from his arms and smirked, trademark snarkiness right there on his face but it wasn’t real, just a mask to hide his true feelings, “Theo, what does he mean?”

“I got you today,” he winked, still full of shit, and Lana narrowed her eyes at him. He dropped her hand, suddenly unsure of what he was doing and slumped his shoulders, tucking his fists way down into the pocket of his jeans. “I could call Liam instead, if you don’t…”

“Of course, I do,” she grabbed the crook of his elbow and pulled him towards the couch, sitting down where she had been before he arrived and tugged him to sit beside her. “It’s just that I wasn’t aware that I’d see anyone but Derek.”

“Can’t monopolize your whole time,” the older man shrugged, “besides, I have some business outside of Beacon Hills to take care of and it’s not something I can take you along for.” He sat back on the couch holding the coffee as he casually placed his ankle up on his knee, and for a second Lana thought of how uncomfortable it looked. “It’s not that I don’t trust the others, but you and Theo had the strongest connection next to Scott, and Liam had to work.”

“So, he gets to babysit?” She nodded, like it was all becoming clear now.

“No,” the blue-eyed beta looked down at her, “I get to spend time with my friend, much needed time.” Lana looked up at him through searching eyes again, trying to see the lie, but his heart was steady, and his face told the truth. “I need this as much as you do.”

“So, here are the rules,” Derek placed the cup down, lowered his leg and leaned forward. “The loft is yours for the day, stay away from the east side of the Preserve,” he was staring at Lana for that one, “we don’t know who that omega was.” He turned to Theo, “if you take her out to the farm be careful, we don’t know if Jonathan’s gotten to Bea or John yet, and I don’t know if we should chance it.”

“That pretty much takes care of anything I can think of to do,” Theo scowled, and Derek shook his head.

“I’m sure you’re craftier than that.” The omega smiled, rose to his feet and looked down at the two of them. “Number one rule, don’t go running towards any danger, you two have a habit of getting into it and not being able to get out.”

They turned to look at each other, insulted by that insinuation before they brought their gaze up to Derek, who only nodded and walked out of the room. Theo finally felt comfortable enough to strip out of the canvas jacket, and he sat back on the couch, shoulder to shoulder with Lana for a quiet moment before he sighed.

“I can smell him on you,” it was only loud enough that she could barely make it out, but it made her blush none-the-less and Lana looked away, but Theo reached out and took her hand, “you smell happy.”

“I showered three time,” Lana admitted.

“Did you think I would be upset?” she could hear the smile on his lips but still refused to look, only giving a slight nod, one that he caught. “We were never destined to be together,” he shifted, moved close enough so he could place his arm behind her on the backrest, and let her feel his breath against her ear. “I still love you, that’s not going to change whether you’re with Scott or not, Lana, that isn’t what this is about.”

“Then what is it?” she turned to him quickly, finding out just how close he was when all that filled her vision was his eyes, “because I’m so confused.”

“We’re pack,” he glanced down at his hand, a movement her own followed, turning hers in it softly so that their palms were touching and he felt her shiver at the sudden vibration, “you’re like me, a chimera in your own right, that makes us family.” He closed his fingers, slipping between hers, until he interlocked them completely, then glanced up at her eyes, watching them glow, “you and me.”

Lana nodded, she got it, she understood the weird draw to him. Two sets of very different DNA, but yet one whole person, and while hers was a spirit, it was still altering her, still evolving and she saw the echo of his power in her eyes.


	8. Episode Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Also not rated PG-13.  
> Consider yourself warned.  
> #pleasetagyoursmut

Episode 1x08

“Okay,” Derek suddenly leaned over the back of the couch between them, and placed a hand over the top of theirs, “next rule,” he looked at one, then the other, “stop that!” Both sighed, unlinked their hands just as the phone in Theo’s pocket rang. “That would be Liam and he wants to know what the hell you just did.”

Theo rolled his eyes, digging for the phone and sure enough,  _ Dunbar _ was flashing across the screen. He slowly raised it up, put it against his ear, the phone automatically accepting the call and the first thing out of the beta’s mouth was nearly a growl.

“What the actual hell,  _ Theo _ !” Liam bit out between clenched teeth, and Lana placed her hand over her mouth as Derek moved away, going back into the kitchen as the smell of scrambled eggs filled the air. Theo looked adequately chastised as he tried to come up with something to say to his friend. “I told you  _ not _ to hold her hand, not to touch her at all, but what was the first thing you did? You touched her, right?”

“Liam,” the twenty-six-year-old sighed, rolling his eyes.

“Theo,” and if that wasn’t a mocking brother snide reply Lana wasn’t sure what else it could be. “Is she there?”

His eyes went to hers and he actually smiled. “Yeah, she’s right here, and she’s fine.”

“I don’t believe you,” the beta spat, and Theo handed over the phone.

“Li, I’m fine, still all in one piece,” Lana whispered, like she could feel his worry and agitation from there, and it was the sigh on the line that told her she was right. “Hey, breathe, kid.”

“Don’t call me that,” he growled out, but it was low and not at all serious, like the teasing was just what he needed.

“What are you doing, Coach?” She pulled her feet up onto the couch and tucked them under Theo’s thigh, something that he grinned shyly at but didn’t move away from. Any connection was better than none.

“It’s my guidance hours,” and she could picture him sitting back in his chair, feet out straight, biting down on his lip. “What I really want is to be there with you.”

“Not yet,” was her soft reply and she could almost hear the sound of his head thumping back on the chair.

“Yeah, I know,” he huffed, “tell Theo that I’ll call again on lunch,” the sound of the chair legs hitting the floor signaled him sitting up. “Got a student coming in.”

“Be good,” she smiled, and heard him scoff.

“Yeah, not me that I’m worried about,” and then the line went dead.

Lana slowly handed him the phone before he set it on the table just in time for Derek to come around, hand them both plates with eggs and toast before heading towards the jacket he had tossed on his way in.

“My phone will be on,” the omega barked, slipping the jacket up over his shoulders, “I’ll come straight back if you need me, but Scott would be first call, then Stiles.”

“You’re kidding, right?” Theo grinned, “Liam’s ten times closer.”

“That’s your preference, not mine.” Derek scolded. “If it really comes down to it, use the pack call, Lana.”

“I don’t know how I did it the first time,” she placed the plate on her knees and picked up a fork, eyes right on his.

“Trust me, you’ll figure it out quick,” and before she could blink, he was gone, pulling the door shut behind him.

“Perfect,” Theo sighed, grabbing his own breakfast and the two dug in.

*****

Stiles looked up from his desk as the dark-haired omega walked into the station. He rolled his eyes, not because he was annoyed but because there was just some sort of tradition about it, especially when Derek caught his eye and gave him that really weird look, like he was about to do something friendly.

And there it was.

The former alpha placed a cup of coffee from the Bar and Grill down on the desk, looking just as smug as can be.

“You know I hate you, right?” Stiles narrowed his eyes, reaching for the cup, but Derek just gave him this look, his mouth going down in a half frown like he was really thinking about it, but then he shrugged.

“I think it just defines our relationship for the last decade,” he gave the station a quick glance, looking for any kind of trouble, if only to keep Stiles safe. It was an unspoken rule, Derek saved his ass, Stiles kept him out of jail, maybe not in the beginning, but  _ after _ he tried to pin Derek for Laura's murder, and just about everything else that popped up in Beacon Hills. However, when green met amber, all teasing was tossed out the window, and Derek leaned on the desk, fists pressing into the crappy fake wood, close enough to see the dark lines around Stiles eyes. “For the record, this is the most asinine plan you’ve ever come up with.”

“It wasn’t mine,” Stiles slowly stood, mimicking the man before him until they were exactly the same height, and then he whipped around, unceremoniously, and grabbed his coat before finishing with, “it was Scott’s.”

That didn’t make Derek feel any better about this whole situation, in fact it made it just a bit worse because Scott’s plans were always a hundred times worse than Stiles. With a deep breath in, he hesitated to ask but it just slipped out. “Are you sure Argent can be any kind of help?”

Stiles rolled his eyes, more like his whole head, at the omega before walking past him, only to stop, reach around Derek, and grab the cup of coffee from the table. “Come on, he’s waiting,” Stiles huffed, “and you know how much he hates waiting.”

“Yeah,” Derek sighed, following the human out the door, “I remember.”

Just barely on the road and Derek was already annoyed. They were tucked into Stiles’ Jeep which had seen better days, long before being held together during high school with duct tape and luck, and no clue how he was keeping the 1980 blue POS in one piece, even if he had taken it apart multiple times. But it was his mom’s and there was no way that Stiles was giving it up.

When he first came back from Quantico, after swiping the keys away from Scott, Stiles had taken it to a real mechanic, and had everything replaced, including a new engine, which was the only way the thing had survived the last ten years, but Derek still didn’t trust it. He did, however, reluctantly trust the man behind the wheel.

“So, what made the two of you come up with this completely insane idea?” Derek finally huffed out as Stiles moved along the highway. Argent was almost an hour away, and that meant there was time to get the man to change his mind.

“I don’t know,” Stiles shrugged, “Scott said it last night and it just rolled around in my head until I couldn’t shake it.” Those amber eyes of Stilinski’s were suddenly locked on Derek, and thank God there was no one on the road because he wasn’t letting up. “You got it, right?”

“Yeah, I looked over the footage and printed out some stills,” Derek drew the folded paper from his pocket, giving him a peek before stuffing it back in. “Wanna tell me why you thought to look at my security cameras?”

Stiles went back to concentrating on the road before he twisted his hand on the wheel and opened up. “The body in the woods.”

“Really?” Derek was absolutely confused. “And that made you think to go through surveillance?”

“Everyone knows the Preserve is monitored, says it right on the damn post,” Stiles growled and for a second, Derek wondered what he would sound like with power under it, but he shook it off and sighed, “but no one knows about your loft.”

“How, exactly, did you know?”

Stiles scoffed, “you’re kidding, right?” and he flashed a smile at the wolf beside him. “Derek, you’re probably the biggest paranoid bastard I’ve ever met. Come on, you live on the top floor of a twelve-story building.”

“Alright,” Derek shook his head, “point taken.”

“And you have an alarm for the front door.”

“Stiles…”

“And despite being a badass werewolf, you have guns in a cage… by your door.”

“Okay!” Derek twisted in the seat to look right at the smug smirk on his face, “you made your point, knock it off.”

“Gladly, if you tell me what you really found on the video,” Stiles glanced at him quickly, winking.

“Have I ever told you how much I truly hate you?” Derek sat back, drew in a breath and let it flow out his nose, taking in the scenery around him, before he relaxed enough to look at his friend again. “The first night we camped out, there was a black truck that was parked on the south side of the property. The cameras were able to pick up not only the license plate but also a good part of the occupant’s face.”

There was just something in Derek’s voice that told the deputy he was leaving something out, so with a sideways glance Stiles hiked a brow, “and?”

“And it wasn’t Jonathan.” Derek kept every ounce of emotion out of his voice, hoping Stiles wouldn’t pick up on the worry, but the kid was way too intuitive to let it go.

“And?”  _ and _ Derek was getting annoyed.

“And there were clearly claws in the photo,” he huffed out. “I think we’re dealing with Turret.”

“Lana’s psychic friend?”

“Packmate, actually, probably a symbiote just like her, but we won’t know until we find him.”

“And hope to God he doesn’t try to kill us,” Stiles chuckled, “story of our lives.”

“Yours,” Derek grinned, “not mine.”

“Yeah, whatever, tall, dark, and brooding,” Stiles shook his head, concentrated on the road and went silent for a moment. There was just something on the edge of his features that Derek couldn’t pinpoint, until Stiles said it out loud. “She’s worth it, right?”

That was it, Stiles was worried, not that this would all be for nothing, but that it might actually be  _ something _ , something they couldn’t get out of, but the wolf needed to squash that and quickly. He reached over, patted him on the shoulder and gave just a little squeeze before he moved it.

“She’s definitely something else,” Derek smiled, but while his affection for the woman was real, the threat of danger was right on the edge.

“Okay, let’s go catch ourselves a bad guy.”

It wasn’t what Derek hoped he would say. He had  _ hoped _ that Stiles wouldn’t be stupid, that he would turn the car around and head back to Beacon Hills, that he would realize he was only human after so many years, but this was Stiles and no matter what the kid did, Derek couldn’t let him do it unprotected.

“Right,” he mumbled, letting the two of them fall into a companionable silence.

****

Argent studied the papers in front of him, the blurry, night vision shots of the black truck and the man inside had him tilting his head to see it better, but he had already run the plate without issue and knew more than these two did. Glancing up, he went from Stiles, who was biting on the side of his finger, dancing in place, to Derek, who stood silent and still, arms crossed over his chest.

“Well, this is definitely Nicholas Turret,” the ex-hunter sighed, leaning his weight on his arms before he backed away, turning to grab the computer from the table behind him, he dropped it down and gave them a clearer picture of the man. Standing almost as tall as Derek, he sported a dirty-blonde, military-style haircut, and dark green eyes, ones that seemed to glow with power without showing his were side. “Lana wasn’t lying. Turret is psychic, he’s also one of the best paramilitary hunters out there. We’ve come across a few of his bounties in the last few years, but there hasn’t been any activity on him in the three months. We’ve been able to track him though.”

Derek looked down at the map, the way he moved from the east coast, over to California and Utah. “Looks like he was tracking Lana, she’s mentioned a few of those states before.”

“Exactly. We need to know what he’s tracking her for.”

“That’s easy enough,” Stiles grumbled. “Her grandmother is an old-fashioned high alpha, she believes in what’s meant to be, and apparently, she knows that Lana and Scott are supposed to die.” His whiskey eyes darkened as he stared up at the men around him. “We can’t let that happen.”

“All we have is a prediction from Lydia and some dreams from Lana, what do we do with that?” Derek sighed, giving his head a little shake.

“We find the psychic and torture it out of him if we have to,” Stiles narrowed his eyes at the omega, as if asking  _ what the hell do you think we do?  _ Derek rolled his eyes and widened his stance.

“Well, if that’s your plan,” Argent pulled out a paper, set it down in front of him, and slid it over, “there’s your address.”

Stiles looked from the paper to Derek, and then back at the bright eyes of Argent.  _ Holy shit! They were really doing this. They were going after a psychic wolf assassin with paramilitary training. _

They were out of their fucking minds.

*****

The loft was quiet, except for the sounds of the television set on as low as possible. There wasn’t a need for it to be any higher, the two watching it had supernatural hearing, and it wasn’t as if Lana was paying much attention to it. She was tucked up on her side against the back of the couch, head resting gently on Theo’s chest as he blocked her in, her leg over his thigh as he stretched out enough to cross his ankles on the furthest armrest.

His hand was on her hair, finger slowly drawing symbols along her hairline as his lips pressed against her. He wasn’t really into the movie, something about bank robbers in Italy, but watching them try to get those Mini Coopers down the stairs was pretty cool. He drew in a deep breath, taking in her scent as she twitched in his arms before the silence was disturbed by the cell that vibrated next to his hand on the coffee table that they had pulled close to the couch.

Theo blinked away the irritation, wanting nothing more than to pick it up and yell at whoever it was, but when he saw  _ McCall _ across the screen, he thought better of it. Slowly bringing it to his ear, he turned his head away from Lana’s and steeled himself for a reprimand.

“Ello,” he greeted lazily and listened to the alpha chuckle, which only confused Theo thoroughly.

“Hey,” his tone was happy, nothing dangerous or on the edge of biting Theo’s head off, and that was weird. “You two doing okay?”

“Well,” he cleared his throat, this was so…  _ so _ weird, “she’s asleep, and we’re just hanging at the loft.”

“Oh, yeah, she’s close?” And Theo didn’t say a damn thing, in fact, he held his breath to make sure he didn’t even breathe wrong, but Scott laughed, okay, more like he giggled, “she’s right beside you, isn’t she? Curled up like a kitten?”

“Actually,” he sighed, just gonna go for it, “she’s between me and the couch, wouldn’t let me go too far.”

What happened next was nothing Theo would ever hope to explain or get over. There was a relieved sigh on the line, like everything Scott had ever feared in the last decade was just taken off the board and he could finally relax. “Good.”

The chimera didn’t say anything, didn’t move, didn’t blink. He kept his heart steady because he was terrified that the racing of it would wake the woman in his arms, but he just couldn’t get over the sound of his voice. For that reason, for the silence alone, Scott cleared his throat and Theo could almost see him sitting at his desk with the door closed, elbows on the desk with the phone to his ear, running his hand nervously through his hair, or at least Theo hoped it was nervously and not irritated.

“Theo,” came the soft voice of the man on the other end, and the beta felt his heart tick, “I want you to listen to me, alright?” and Scott took his silence for what it was, acknowledgement, “I trust you. I know we didn’t start off well but that was a long time ago, and everything with Lana is screwed up, but there is one thing, above everything else that I need you to know.” Scott paused, which wasn’t unlike him, it just made Theo think he was gearing up to let loose, but then Scott recounted an incident. “The other day, you threatened to punch me.”

Okay, not what he was expecting, but he was trying to go with it. “Yeah, sorry.”

“No, that’s not why I said it,” Scott cleared his throat. “I was stupid, beyond stupid, I was an asshole, and you were trying to protect her and that was what mattered.  _ You _ put her first, above everything, above an alpha you  _ threatened, _ to keep her safe. I know only one reason someone would do that and that’s why I can honestly say there isn’t another person I would want with her more right now than you.”

“Scott…” he huffed, braced the phone with his shoulder and rubbed his eyes.

“No,” he laughed, “don’t argue. I didn’t say it so you can start a fight with me, and you will, you want to. It’s just in your nature, but you don’t have to, okay, you don’t. She’s your alpha too.”

“Wait, what?” This time Theo did move, he slipped out from under her, laying her gently on the warmth of the pillow, letting his scent lull her back to sleep before he moved into the kitchen. “What do you mean? Scott, you’re my alpha.”

The voice on the line went soft, softer than Theo had ever heard him, and it instantly slowed his heart. Lana had said it the other day to him, called him out on the feelings of being expendable but right at that moment, he knew Scott felt the same. That he was pack and he would never be left behind. “Do you wanna call Liam? Do you need to? I can feel you from here.”

“No,” he rushed, but slowed his breathing one beat at a time, “no, I’m good, I just… I don’t understand what you mean.”

“You’re a beta, my beta, Theo, and you always will be, but that’s the wolf side of you. Haven’t you ever wondered why you’ve felt outside the group no matter how much we care about you?” And he did but he never expressed it to anyone but Liam.  _ LIAM.  _ Theo growled, but it was as if the alpha could read his mind. “He didn’t tell me, so cool it.”

“I…” but he had no words, he knew deep down that there was no way Liam would betray him, so there had to be a reason Scott was bringing this up.

“You’re just like her, two halves making a whole, right?” Theo closed his eyes, nodding without speaking but Scott got it. “So, it would make sense for you to want more than me.”

“That’s not true,” came a panicked snap from the beta.

“It really is,” the alpha chuckled. “And it really is okay.”

“I’m never going to be able to wrap my head around this,” Theo sighed, crossing his arms as he used them for a pillow, face to the counter. “Why me? I mean, why is it that life is so confusing for me?”

“It won’t be much longer,” Scott reassured him, but that did nothing for the weird feeling that bubbled inside. “Hey, go back to her, let her wrap around you, and keep her safe.”

“That’s not the hardest job in the world,” he scoffed, smiling widely, “actually, it’s pretty peaceful.”

“See, not much longer,” with the smile in his voice still echoing in Theo’s ear, the line went dead.

When he stepped back into the living room, he came face to face with a pair of deep red eyes, glowing with panic as she knelt on the couch. He slowed his approach, watching the way she  _ watched _ him, like she wasn’t really there, and the moment he touched her shoulder, the odd glassy look of sleep was gone.

“Hey, sorry, Scott called,” he let his fingers brush over her shoulders and down any bare skin he could find just to make a connection before he guided her back on the couch, resuming the position they had been in before. When Lana relaxed, he pressed his lips to her forehead and spoke again. “He wanted to check in, but I didn’t want to wake you. I’m sorry if I scared you.”

“No,” she moved up, pressing her nose against the skin of his neck, something he blushed from but more because it tickled like nobody’s business and he let the shiver go through his body. “It wasn’t you,” he slipped his hands into her hair, holding her there, “don’t be mad, but I think it was Nick.”

“Turret?” Theo growled, but that was when he noticed the use of his first name, “what happened?” She had confided in him earlier about how they had been as kids, the psychic connection they built after her change, and how she saw him in her dreams as  _ Nick _ , not the man under her grandmother’s spell. He could smell the fear on her skin. “It’s okay, you can tell me.”

“I don’t know it was something like,” she cringed, her hand going right to her forehead, pain etched on her features. “Agh!”

Theo sat up, not sure what to do as her eyes went wide with pain. “Lana?”

“It’s okay,” she whispered, reaching blindly for his hand, just as she doubled over against him, “It’s…” She groaned again, louder this time, “...okay.” But that was it, her eyes flashed a bright crimson, and she screamed, deep with the wolf inside her, pain making its way through her body, until Theo reached for the phone again, just as it rang. “No, no,” she pushed out, backing off from him as her claws extended, trying to calm him, “it’s not me.”

“Are you insane? You’re in pain, how is it not you?” Theo snapped, kneeling on the ground to catch her by the shoulders. “Let me help.” Lana shook her head, but the power that flowed through her just set off his own animal and Theo bit back the violent need to destroy someone, or something. “Lana, please!”

“It’s not,” her eyelids fluttered as the pain receded and she drew in a breath just before she passed out. Theo reached for the still buzzing phone and brought it to his ear.

He didn’t care who was on the line, because it must have been one of them, someone in the pack heard her. The call she put out was undeniable, but Theo just didn’t care, he needed someone, and the only word he said as he held it to his ear was, “help!”

*****

Scott couldn’t have cared less if the alarm was blaring, he’d take care of that when he knew what the situation was. As it happened, he didn’t need to rip the damn thing out of the wall, it went silent the moment he made it to the door, which opened wide to reveal a pale Liam, who was frantic and sweating.

The call had come in fifteen minutes before, the beta’s voice was panicked, and Scott barely made out what he was saying over the whine in the background. He took in Lana’s familiar whimper once, and he was out the door and in the car before he could breath. He wasn’t sure what the hell was going on, only knowing that she had called out, he had heard her howl, but as much as it drew him, it seemed to set the bitten beta into a frenzy.

“What’s going on?” Scott grabbed him by the shoulders, trying to calm the rage in the shorter man, but he still wasn’t getting anything useful except his own helpless gaze and a glance in the direction of the couch where he could see the back of the chimera’s head. “Theo?” Scott rounded the couch, sliding down onto his ass as he came to rest in front of him, Theo’s eyes brimmed with tears, he reeked of fear, and in his arms was Lana, pale and shivering. “What happened?”

“I don’t know,” Theo shook but for a completely other reason, like he was picking up on Lana’s signals and his body was reacting. Scott glanced at Liam, who was reaching over the armrest to be as close to his anchor as possible, but his hand was gently touching the side of Lana’s face, even as his arm wrapped loosely around Theo’s neck. “She woke up and she looked off, like she was still dreaming. She said it was Turret, and then suddenly she was screaming.”

“Okay,” Scott whispered, placing a hand on his shoulder as he leaned in and rested his lips on Lana’s forehead. She smelled… different, and that got Scott to look at the boys. “You said she was dreaming of Turret?”

“Yeah,” Theo hesitated, “I guess. She said the pain wasn’t hers.”

Scott grabbed his phone, sat back on the floor with it in his hand and quickly dialed out.

*****

Derek’s fist flew at his face again, blood splattering across his cheek as his head rolled to the side, before his dark green eyes narrowed in on the omega. A cruel smile formed on his lips, but he didn’t take his eyes off the other men in the room. Argent stood beside him, arms crossed with a shock baton in hand and Stiles, well, he kind of paced behind.

“I don’t think you’re going to get anything from him, Der,” the youngest of the trio sighed, “paramilitary, remember?”

“We won’t get it that way,” Derek growled, “but I can think of another.” He glanced towards Argent and that was all the ex-hunter needed. They had worked together so many times that it was second nature to work with non-verbal communication. Argent flicked out the baton, jabbing it right into the muscles between Turret’s shoulder blades. The psychic wolf growled, his eyes a bright blue before he jolted in the chair. “Are you going to tell me why Lana’s a target or not?”

“You already know my answer to that, omega,” Turret laughed. “Her symbiote makes her one, or haven’t you figured that out.”

Argent, just a man with a baton and a sucker for seeing the bad guys in pain, stuck Turret with it again, but something was different. The man screamed this time. Derek looked from the one in the chair, now panting and seething at the same time, to the ex-hunter, but Argent just shook his head. He had no clue as to what changed.

“No,” Turret whispered softly, like something was terribly wrong but when he looked up at Stiles, he only growled, showing his power to the man before him. Argent, taking it as an act of aggression, stuck him again. The high voltage passed through his body, seizing his muscles as he bared his fangs, but his eyes were still trapped to the amber ones of the human in the room. His voice was a plea, barely loud enough for Stiles to catch, “Lana.”

“What?” Stiles’ eyes went large, moving closer to the wolf in the chair, “what did you say?”

“Lana,” he breathed, snarling at the omega beside him, eyes coming from Stiles to the dark-haired man, “you need to get her out of Beacon Hills.”

“Yeah, right,” Derek sighed and slammed his fits into the soft muscle of Turret’s gut, doubling him over as he fought through the pain. This was too easy. There wasn’t any way a man with Turret’s background would be giving in this easy. He certainly wouldn’t be making Derek’s day by letting him beat the shit out of him. “Where’s Jonathan? You would know, wouldn’t you? Because that would be the only reason you’d want her out of someplace safe, to give her to her brother.”

“No,” he spat, tilting his head back to lock eyes with him, “I would never give her to that monster, but she will die if you don’t let her go.”

“How?” Argent questioned, but Turret just laughed, sitting himself upright in the chair, which got another course of electricity running through his body. And the scream this time was  _ really _ different, even the deputy could hear the whine behind it. “How. Will. She. Die?”

Turret turned his head and snapped at Argent, giving the man the reason he needed to smile and not only jab the baton but twist it under his arm, close to his heart. Stiles felt his phone vibrate for what must have been the millionth time in the last five minutes, but he had ignored it, until Turret’s eyes went to his pocket.

“You know.” The words slipped from the prisoner’s mouth, his brow creasing together as he gradually brought his eyes up to Stiles. “You know how she dies.”

There was just something wrong with that look, something pleading, and Stiles backed away, snatched it out of his jeans and put it to his ear. “Scott?” 

“You have to stop!” Scott yelled over the line, “whatever you’re doing to him, you have to stop!”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Not only was Scott going off like a lunatic, but he was pretty sure he could hear Theo in the background, then again, Stiles had also been staring at Turret while he spoke. “What’s going on?”

“Lana,” Turret sighed, letting his head drop forward.

“Listen to me, Stiles, you have to stop whatever you’re doing to Turret  _ right now _ , just trust me.” Derek glanced over at him, confusion written on his face as he looked from the phone in his hand to the prisoner in the chair.

“Are you out of your damn mind? Do you know what it took to get him here?” Stiles snapped.

The silence over the line shocked the deputy, but the words out of Scott’s mouth, the hopeless, desperate words were heartbroken. “You’re killing her,” and that wiped every emotion from Stiles’ face, he brought a hand up to run it through his hair, but it shook. He knew now why those screams sounded different, why there was this strange look in Turret’s eyes. “Stiles, there’s a blood bond.”

“Jesus,” the human whispered, staring down at the glowing eyes of the omega before him, the amount of pain in them, and he knew, just knew that Scott was telling the truth, but there was something more, “she’s his alpha.”

“What?” Argent snapped, but Derek only took a deep breath.

“Yeah,” the one on the other end sighed, “so, please, please stop.”

Stiles was staring at the blonde crew-cut, the dark green eyes, and the relief in them when he said, “yeah, okay.”

“Thank you,” Scott sighed, and the line went dead.

But Stiles wasn’t done yet. He clenched his hand around his phone as he brought it down and stepped closer, grabbing Turret by the length of hair on his head, yanking it back. “How?”

He smirked, eyes a bit droopy, but very much aware, “she’s always been my alpha.”

“She bit you,” Derek whispered, “that first full moon night after she turned, she bit you.”

“So, she told you how we were when we were kids?” Turret scoffed, this it annoyingly wasn’t a big deal, “Yes, she bit me, and she doesn’t remember. When the hunters came, they took me, not because I was connected to her, but because I wasn’t just a born wolf anymore.” he smirked, like it was the best thing that happened to him, but Stiles could still see the pain radiating in his eyes. “I was lucky enough to get away, but not without some help. Whatever Lana is, her bite is something more powerful. It gave me a little gift.”

“But you hunt her.” Stiles spoke plainly, as if that news was some big secret, which got Turret to chuckle.

“And why do you think that is? I help to keep her from her grandmother,” he sat back in the chair, chin high, air of arrogance in his features once again, but Stiles could see the way his eyes were searching, like they were reaching out to Lana. “Argent should know that I never miss a target, it’s why I’m so good at my job, so why is it that one little symbiote keeps getting away?”

“You’re not hunting her, you’re keeping tabs on her,” Derek whispered, and the role of Turret’s eyes made him want to bash in his head again.

“Give the puppy a prize,” he mocked. “How do you think she’s survived for this long on her own? Pure dumb luck? She’s my alpha, it’s in my blood. I can’t let anything happen to her.”

“And her grandmother?” Argent came around the front, arms crossed, baton still in hand.

Turret shook his head. “For an infamous Argent, you really don’t know much, do you?” he sighed, put out and clicked his tongue. “Mallory Ravenwolf is a cold-hearted bitch. She would, and will, let her only surviving granddaughter go to the slaughter willingly if it meant that her name would be cleared of all sin, and she’s just as willing to let Jonathan be the one to do it as he is to get rid of what he thinks is an abomination.” His eyes landed on Stiles, “your wife forecasted their death at the Nemeton, that both Lana and Scott would bleed out, and the world would be darker with one less true alpha, and symbiote on its hands. But you don’t understand, that’s not all.”

“You’re saying she got it wrong?” Stiles stepped up, but Turret shook his head.

“I’m saying that’s not the whole story.”

“And how would you know?” Derek piped up, watching the hooded expression in his eyes.

“Because I’ve seen it too.”

Stiles looked up to meet Derek’s disbelieving eyes, before he glanced down at the man in the chair

_ Shit. _

*****

Lana rolled her eyes as Scott stared harder, like he was trying to read her mind, and she understood the reason behind it, but it wasn’t going to work. He wasn’t going to get to Nick by doing it that way.

She huffed, finally sat forward, placing her palms against his cheeks, and locked eyes with the alpha. Letting out a huff, she leaned forward and kissed him softly, before taking in the worried gleam in his eyes. “Can we please stop? I’m fine.”

“You nearly had your brain melted by a psychic werewolf,” Liam grouched, sitting on the armrest, arms crossed, feet on the floor, pointedly  _ not _ looking at the two of them. “You’re not fine.”

Lana let her head drop back, rolling in Liam’s direction, but there was a smirk on her lips as she let her eyes drift over him, and under scrutiny, he became edgy, moving in his spot, knowing she was taking him in, until he huffed and glanced in her direction.

“My brain is fine,” she replied, once she had his attention, but Liam just scowled and shrugged. “Liam,” and that tone got Scott to smirk as he ducked his head, turning away, hoping it would go unnoticed. The beta growled, irritated as he slowly scooted off the arm and made his way over to tuck up by her side, arms still crossed, angry look still on his face, but she rested her head on his shoulder and Scott saw the moment he melted into her. “I’m sorry if you felt that.”

“I didn’t feel it,” he mumbled, right hand, still crossed, searched for her fingers and she gladly slipped hers between his fingers. He drew it up under his arm, like he wanted to hide it, make the affectionate touch just his. “I heard it, in your howl, the pain.”

“She’s okay now,” Scott sighed, brows raised as if to reassure them both. “But, we got bigger problems,” all three looked up as Theo walked into the room, welding torch in hand. He glanced over at the weapons locker and smiled. “They’re bringing Turret here.”

“What?” Liam snapped, suddenly on edge again.

“You’re not going to need that,” Lana smiled but winked at Theo, who only gave her a cheeky grin as he fired it up before that grin faded and angry filled his eyes, “but, you do look like you might need to melt something of your own, so, go for it.”

The chimera smirked again, made his way to the now empty steel cage and went to work.

Scott took her free hand and stood. “Come on, our eyes will heal, but there’s no use messing them up with those sparks.”

He tugged her to her feet, Liam following because there was no way he was letting go, and the three of them moved into the kitchen. Lana leaned against the counter as Scott poured her a cup of  _ fix-it-all, _ or coffee to everyone else, and slid it to her before Liam found a spot beside her, thigh to hip touching, forearms on the marble top, staring off into nothing as he bit his lip.

“Go ahead, Liam,” she whispered when Scott turned away to grab another mug, “say it.”

“Okay,” he shifted to look at her, “are you sure you’re his alpha, or is it just the psychic thing?”

Lana grinned, she had been waiting for that, “no, I’m sure.”

“So, how come you didn’t mention it before?”

Lana steadied herself, finding a spot to concentrate on before she glanced up into his bright blue eyes, “I didn’t remember for a long time. My first shift with the spirit was… it was different. I thought they were dreams really, for a long time, but when he came back, he came right to me. He was… off, he smelled off.”

“You can scent him?” Scott questioned, grabbing her attention as he stood across from her now. Lana gave him a light smile.

“No, not like you,” she shrugged but then tilted her head as if she were examining him. “When Liam feels off, you feel it too, right?”

“Yeah, it’s the bond,” then Scott got it, he bit his lip and nodded. “So, if Turret was close enough, you would definitely smell the difference.” But there was something else in his eyes as he glanced back at the door to the common room, then met her gaze.

“Exactly.” she had seen it, she knew what he was thinking,  _ like Theo, _ but she brushed it off and went on. “Years later, we were trapped together,” Lana whispered, wrapped both hands around the mug and let her thoughts drift. “He hadn’t been hunting me that time, he had been saving my ass.”

“Hell of a job if he was trapped with you,” Liam huffed, but it was sarcasm, not anger and Lana smiled, nodding.

“So true,” she paused and looked up into Scott’s eyes, “that was the moment I knew, when he was sitting there begging me to come out of the darkness. The end was so close, but he practically cried at me not to give in, that was when I was sure they weren’t just dreams. Nick had never been so frightened.”

“Wait, big, bad, military Turret was scared?” Liam grinned, “I’d pay for pictures of that.”

“Dude,” Scott scowled, but it was light and teasing, “you don’t even know what he looks like.”

“Still,” he gave the alpha a half-shrug, still smirking with narrowed eyes, his fingers dancing over Lana’s arm. She waited a moment for the beta to get the thoughts out of his head before she went on.

“I was hurt, the wounds weren’t closing,” she said softly, “that was my first encounter with yellow wolfsbane.”

“That stuff sucks,” Scott volunteered, and Lana smiled.

“I guess you guys would know,” she reached out, taking his hand. “Anyway, that was when he actually told me about the bite, but by then I was an omega, and had no claim over him. Or at least I thought.”

“Right, because it wasn’t you who bit him,” Scott got it now.

“No, it was the spirit, during a full moon, when she was in control.” Lana shrugged.

“The other night in your dreams,” Liam stood straight, “you said he was there.”

“Um, he was warning me,” she sighed, “told me that I needed to get away from you and the Nemeton, but that’s all he would say, that’s all he ever says.”

“Well,” Scott dug a vibrating phone from his pocket and looked at the screen, “maybe we’ll be able to get more answers now,” he turned the phone towards the other two. There was Stiles’ name on the screen and a simple  _ We’re here _ in the banner. “Let’s go meet them.”

*****

Lana stood by the kitchen door as Derek, Scott, and Argent brought the man in, but the moment he was in the room, his eyes went right to her. She knew what he looked like now, had seen him this way not only in dreams but also in life, however, the blood on his perfectly crisp white suit was just a little upsetting.

She waited until Turret was locked behind the steel door, until he pushed his hands back for Stiles to unlock the silver cuffs and with narrowed eyes, he watched her approach, with Theo by her side, yet several feet away. The beta chimera shook from holding back any emotions, and even Liam, who was on the other side of the room, slamming the door shut could feel them.

Turret’s eyes went from her to the beta copying her every step and he gave her a small grin, sitting down on the floor of the cage when she was close enough. Lana crouched down, her bright eyes glowing a deep red as they finally connected with Turret’s.

“That hurt,” she whispered, and he only shook his head, brows pitched in a  _ what did you expect _ fashion. “Did you even try to stop it?”

“You know how hard it is to control the connection when you’re this close to a bond,” his eyes flickered to Theo, “even if it’s not blood.”

“Leave him out of this,” she growled, low, deep, and full of authority that had not only the omega in the cage before her shivering, but the beta close by as well. “He’s mine, they all are, remember that.”

“I was once,” he peacocked, like being so close to her wasn’t affecting him at all, when she could see it in his eyes.

“You still are,” she tilted her head to the side just a bit and really looked at him. “I told you to come here and tell them what you knew on your own, they just beat you to it.”

“Clearly,” he huffed, looking at his cage. “What do you want? And make it fast, your grandmother will notice my absence shortly.”

“The prophecy,” she calmly questioned, sitting down on the floor just out of arm’s reach folding her legs together on the floor. Turret shifted, mimicked her position like he had done many times in the past. “You know more about it than I do, so what does it say? Why do Scott and I die on the Nemeton?”

“You’ve had the dreams; you know all of it.”

But Lana shook her head, “I know bits and pieces, jumbled visions.”

“And once you put them together, you’ll know everything you need.” Turret smirked.

“You shot me.” She stated pointedly, but Turret scoffed.

“I shot at you,” he shrugged.

“Same thing.”

“Not really.” He let his eyes go over Scott and gave him an unimpressed  _ hmmph _ . “Your alpha is younger than I expected him to be. A bit shorter too.” Which elicited a growl from the man behind her, and Turret’s humored eyes went to Lana, “you haven’t sealed the mating bond yet, have you?”

“What’s it to you?” Theo questioned, which got the wolf to look up at him.

“Oh, nothing,” he shrugged, “just the whole  _ life or death _ for you and your  _ pack. _ ” Theo growled, which got Liam to give off a low rumble, and Turret laughed. “You’re all children... still. Life outside of the beacon is much crueler than you could ever imagine. A mating bond, a blood bond, would make you one of the most powerful packs in the world, yet here you stand, open and vulnerable.”

“It’s not my choice to force it on her,” Scott defended, catching Turret’s attention.

“Force?” He outright laughed, “anyone with a nose can tell you’re scent bonded already, even that one.” His gaze flicked to Theo. “He smells more of her than any of you.” Scott couldn’t contain the growl this time. “Oh, take it easy, alpha, I just meant she’s already claimed him as pack, you,” his eyes narrowed on the alpha, nose flaring before he grinned, “not so much.”

Scott did let it out this time, stepping towards the cage, fangs bared, eyes bright red, and Derek grabbed his arm to hold him back. Lana hadn’t moved, she didn’t shift but only raised her hand, a gesture that caught Scott’s attention and it seemed to silence any protest in the alpha. She leaned in, which Turret mirrored, and bared her fangs at him.

“Knock it off,” her voice was low, but there was an edge to it that made him grin.

“Oh,” he said sweetly, “how I’ve missed you.”

Lana blinked her eyes, the power and fangs quickly fading as she glanced back towards the others. Her fingers slowly moved, reaching up to scratch her nose, but her eyes locked on Turret as she tapped her forehead and the omega in the cage rolled his eyes up to the men in the room before lazily catching hers.

_ “I can’t help you if you don’t cooperate,”  _ Lana’s voice made him jolt at the power. It was easy to communicate in her dreams when he wasn’t within two feet of her, but her power and their connection always seemed to hurt more when she was close.  _ “If you’re not the one who kills me, then who is?” _

_ “You already know that, alpha of mine,”  _ Turret had gone still, not letting the others in the room in on what they were doing, but she watched the way he tilted his head just a bit, like he was observing.  _ “Finish the ritual, take the bite, seal the pack, or I swear on all that is holy, I will destroy each and every one of them the moment your heart stops beating.” _

Lana huffed, uncrossed her legs and rose from the floor, eyes still on the man in the cage before she turned and walked away, straight past Theo and Scott, right for the door to the balcony.

“What did you say to her?” Scott growled, shaking out of Derek’s hold to stalk towards the cage. Turret shook his head, looking up at the alpha as if he wasn’t a threat. “I could feel it the moment you connected, so what did you say?”

“Interesting,” the omega scooted back, getting a better angle to look over the alpha, “maybe you’re more bonded than a surface scent can give off, that’s good.” Turret smirked, giving a small shake of his head, “and I only made the suggestion that she finish what the two of you started. A mating bond would only strengthen the pack.”

Scott slowly sank down, getting to his level and he folded his fingers together to keep from reaching out and strangling the man, “I don’t know what your deal is, Turret, but when you get out,  _ if _ you get out, I’m going to kill you with my bare hands.”

“Oh, now wouldn’t that be a nice surprise,” he scoffed, “the untouchable Scott McCall actually killing an enemy and not trying to talk is way around it.” Turret rolled his eyes, “that would take that  _ true alpha _ power and taint it, don’t you think? And what kind of man would you be after that?” Nick moved forward; fangs bared as he gripped the steel bars. “She was my alpha long before her scent ever crossed your path, so be weary, McCall, of who you threaten, you might find your allegiance won’t stand the test of a bond.”

Nick lazily moved back the moment Derek hinted at an approach, but Scott stood and gruffly left the room, disappearing. The dark-haired omega watched from his standpoint, arms crossed, while Theo and Liam followed after their friend. It was then that Derek noticed Stiles had disappeared. Frustrated at the whole situation, he glanced up at Argent, who had been standing quiet by the door and raised a brow, but the human hunter did nothing but shrug.

****

Lana closed her eyes, letting the light wind blow over her as she stood facing the cement barrier that separates her from the twelve-story drop. She heard Stiles’ heartbeat as he stepped through the door, but she didn’t move, at least not until he was less than three feet from her, about to reach out.

“Please don’t,” she begged, and Stiles placed both hands on his hips, shaking his head.

“You know, it really does creep me out when you do that,” the human huffed, but Lana still didn’t open her eyes, “do you have some sort of heat senses, like can you actually see me? Like Daredevil and his chemically-altered vision.”

“You’re not a big comic fan, are you?” Lana laughed as she finally did glance at him.

“More of a Star Wars geek, I guess,” Stiles shrugged, and she could hear the skip in his beat, “please, tell me you’ve seen them?”

“All of them,” Lana crossed her arms and leaned them on the balcony wall, “a few not by choice, but what are you going to do.”

“Oh yeah?” he grinned, moving up to stand beside her. This was the best news he had heard all day. “I’ve been trying to get Scott to watch them since we were kids. Seems like I spend most of my time wasting my breath with references only to have him  _ not _ get it.” Lana finally gave him a real smile as she let her bright eyes land on his, “so, favorite?”

“Actually,” she cleared her throat, “it’s going to sound weird, but  _ Solo _ ?”

Stiles narrowed his eyes at her, unsure of why she posed it as a question and not a fact. “Not bad for a backstory, but I meant the actual saga.”

Lana shook her head, “a little hard to keep up with when it all jumps around.” He watched the way the smile faded, and the faraway look came back to her eyes. “It’s so weird having him so close.”

“I figured,” Stiles reached out and placed his hand on the spot between her shoulder, letting his thumb caress her shirt. “Intense, right?”

“Like suddenly part of me is whole, and I didn’t even know I was hollow,” she shook beneath his touch, but he didn’t say anything else, just gave her a bit before she continued. “You know the whole thing about if you hurt a beta it could practically kill an alpha.”

“Yeah, like losing a limb.” Stiles didn’t allow himself to take his eyes off her, it was how he read people, but she knew that, she understood his need to really  _ see _ her.

“How the hell have I gone that long without him?” She huffed as she said it, before looking up into his eyes. “It’s like Theo all over again.”

“Theo?” That caught his attention. Lana rubbed a hand across her forehead and smiled.

“When he and I met, it was right there, that draw to always keep him close, I didn’t understand it. It was a week before I touched him, and all I did was provide comfort, but I wanted to,  _ needed _ to take away his pain, even if it was just from memories,” she cleared her throat and switched her weight. “In that weird instant, the moment I felt him, I knew him.”

“So, a bond?” Stiles nodded, “okay, but how?”

“I don’t know,” Lana shrugged, “he was home, and safety,” she drew in a deep breath, narrowing his eyes at Stiles, “he’s pack, and I can’t let him go.”

“Okay,” Stiles reached out to her, placed both hands on her shoulders and turned her towards him, leaning down just a bit to make sure he knew she was locked onto him. “Then don’t.” He saw the moment she let go, a single tear sliding down beside her nose. “And as much as Turret is a big douchewad, you can’t let him go either.”

“You make it sound simple,” she chuckled.

“It is,” he winked, “family is just that, family, assholes or not, you don’t get rid of them that easy.”

“Like Derek?” She watched the way he scowled, looked up towards the sky and played it up like it was some sort of hardship, but he gave a small nod after a little bit. “The two of you try so hard to come off as barely friends, but there’s nothing you wouldn’t do for each other.”

“Yeah, I know,” Stiles relented, “just, don’t tell him that, okay?”

“Scout’s honor,” Lana grinned.

“So, what do we do with your beta?” Stiles had the way about him, easy, laid back, but definitely straight to the point, and with a plan in mind, but Turret was something none of them had really seen coming, especially with his ties to Lana. “We can’t let him out just yet, I’m pretty sure he and Derek will kill each other.”

“And there’s that whole friendship thing,” Lana laughed, which only got the man in front of her to scowl. “Leave him there, we’ll figure it out.”

Stiles wrapped his arm around her shoulder, felt her shiver from the wind and corralled her back inside, where they both stopped dead and watched the staring contest between the two omegas.

“Oh,” he gave her a fake smile, “this is going to be fun.” He slipped away from Lana, put one arm around Derek’s waist and patted him on the chest. “Come on, big guy, let’s go find some food to feed the minions.”

Derek gave a gruff growl but let the human shift him out of the room. Argent only shook his head, set the baton by the door and gave Lana a once over before he winked and disappeared out the front door, leaving Lana with the man in the cage.

“Your pack is,” Turret paused to think of the right world, “strange, to say the least.”

“My pack is a lot of things, one being not mine.” Lana replied, glancing up at the library loft to see Theo’s back leaning against the rails and Liam practically hanging over the side, watching.

“Oh, but there’s where you’re so very wrong,” Turret pulled his legs up, resting his arms on his knees as he looked at her. “Every single person in this house would die for you.”

Lana moved closer, taking a seat in front of him again as Turret gave this small smirk, narrowing his eyes and that was when she saw it, the uncomfortableness in his eyes. He never liked coming this far west, it always made him remember. “You know the Talbots used to live in this area.”

Turret growled lowly, more of a rumble, as Lana brought her eyes up to Liam, whose bright blue ones were wide before she let her gaze rest on him again. “Why would you bring them up?”

“Nick, your brother and sister were right here. They went to these schools; they traveled these roads.” She pulled her knees up, leaned her side against the cage and turned her head to watch him, sitting against the opposite wall, to fully take him in. “Don’t you wanna know, for real this time, what the hell happened to Brett and Lori?”

“You truly don’t remember,” Nick sighed, but she could see the hurt in his eyes, the way that he used his sarcastic mask of indifference and snarkiness to cover any other feelings he might have.

He was a lot like Theo in that aspect, always covering up to save face. It was probably training, or coping mechanisms he found he needed in order to survive, but she had always been able to see underneath it. At that moment, he looked like the others, a young wolf, not nearly thirty, lost and alone in the world with the only real pack sitting right in front of him.

“I remember them, I remember you talking about them,” Lana didn’t know how far to push, but she was curious about what he was talking about. “I remember the night you came into my cabin and told me they were dead, and that you were leaving to find out who did it.”

“Oh, darling,” and there was that assholeness that he had managed to send out in waves, “they are dead, so very dead. I’ve avenged my family’s  _ death _ many, many times over.”

“Then what did you tell me that I supposedly can’t remember,” Lana was prepared when he moved.

She had seen the twitch in his muscles, the way his eyes settled on the spot he intended to land when he shifted. She knew all his tells, he was the reason that sparring with Derek was so easy. He had taught her how to fight. And suddenly he was beside her, his cheek pressed against the bar, the heat of it prickling her skin as she let her eyes close, just feeling him.

He drew in a breath through his nose, before letting it out with his words. “They’re very much alive,” he whispered, but she knew the moment Liam had heard because the kid was suddenly choking on air above them. Turret smiled, turned his head up and, without moving, seemed to pinpoint the beta. “He was there when they were hit.”

“I know,” Lana sighed and slowly moved her hand, resting it on Nick’s shoulder, capturing his attention as the man’s gaze snapped to hers. “You can talk to him about it later, but right now... Stop.”

“I’m not doing anything,” he was like a petulant child at times, ornery and spiteful, and he quickly moved away just as Liam stopped at the bottom of the stairs. Lana gave him a small shake of her head, warning him not to come closer, but she could see the control slipping, the way he clenched his jaw, flexed the fist not holding the rail, and suddenly he was out the door and onto the balcony. “Did you do that on purpose?” Her eye’s went to the omega, “bring up my family?”

“No,” she sighed, she didn’t really know why she did it, but she was aware of Liam’s involvement with Brett. “I needed to tell  _ you _ about them. I forgot it was still such a touchy subject for him.”

“Yes, well,” Turret moved back to the other side of the cell. He narrowed his eyes at her and sighed, putting his head back to stare at the ceiling. “You look like hell, by the way.”

“Oh yeah, because you’re such supermodel stuff yourself,” Lana griped back, but she got a real smirk from him this time, real emotion. “Want coffee?”

“That would be nice,” his green eyes moved towards her, but nothing else shifted, “thank you.”

“Sure thing.” Lana stood and made her way into the kitchen but stopped when she spotted Scott standing in the bedroom doorway, leaning against the sill.

His eyes were a soft red, not full blown power but definitely a show of it, and his lips ticked up in a sultry smile. She glanced back at Turret, at the way he seemed to be ignoring everything, lost in his own world, and made her way towards the man in front of her.

His lips parted the closer she got, his breathing deepened as he looked at her from under his brow, like a hunter stalking his prey, but he didn’t move when she placed her hands on his chest and pushed him backwards into the room, he just stepped back.

It was easy enough to close the door, listen to it move on the well-oiled wheels, keeping it mostly silent. No one got away with anything in a house full of supernaturals but that wasn’t what was on their minds as Scott suddenly backed her up against the wall, hand on her waist, the other locking around both wrists as he brought his forehead down to rest against hers. Red eyes still on hers, he took in her scent through his mouth, strong enough to taste and his chest rumbled as his lips twitched up to show blunt fangs.

“I’m sorry,” he huffed, eyes laser-sharp even as his lids drooped just a bit at her closeness. “With him so close all I want is to show that you’re  _ mine _ , claim you… ugh!” he growled again, taking her wrists to anchor them above her head. “I can’t control it.”

“Funny,” Lana’s eyes searched his features, tugged against the hold if only to elicit that sound from him again, an order to stay still, stop fighting it, and she was doing it on purpose, goading him into a response. Scott pressed his hips into her, locking her in, needing to still her, but that was probably the worst way to do it because it only reminded him of how close she was. “You seem to be in perfect control.”

A lusty smile reached his eyes as he tilted his head just a bit, lips hovering above hers, warm breath against her and this time he took in her scent through his nose, deep, full of fall, freedom, and just under the surface, need, arousal, the promise of surrender. He shook as he leaned in, seeing her throat move as she swallowed, the way her body trembled, and he chuckled.

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” he teased, moving his lips away, letting the rough prickle of his stubble across her cheek until he settled close to her ear, “alpha.” Her breath hitch as he enunciated both syllables, then shook as she released it, hips moving against his, searching for release. “You’d let me do anything I wanted right now, wouldn’t you? Let me take you right here, your beta right outside.”

“God,” she groaned through clenched teeth, fingers clenching against his, wherever she could connect. “Scott,” and that was as broken as he had ever heard her, “please.”

He wanted to laugh, but it wasn’t funny anymore. This was all supposed to be a tease, something to bring down the tension between them, to ease something in her but she was whimpering under his hold, begging for something and he was nearly on the edge of control. He backed away, eyes bright and full now, and he swallowed, looking down at her parted lips, the deep red of her own show, blunt ends of fangs.

He inhaled quickly, then moved, letting the lust take over. His kiss was violent, needy, not at all what he wanted when this began, nipping at her lip but she chased it when he pulled away, coming back only to soften it and make it last, the hand on her hip going just under her chin, to keep her where he wanted.

Until he didn’t need to be in control anymore. He released her wrists, felt her hands come down into his hair as he took her mouth with his, sucking in her bottom lip, giving a little nip, enough to draw blood, and that made him moan, the taste of her, coffee, salt, copper, the last thing she ate, which was the stolen bite of a chocolate chip cookie that Derek had left in a small baggie on the top shelf of the fridge. Scott knew about it because he had snatched a piece himself.

He let his hands move, free roaming as he traced her body, longed to feel it under him, and he growled as he sighed the moment his finger brushed over her hip, that one  _ damn  _ spot. Pulling back to catch his breath, he let his eyes flutter as her mouth moved along his jaw, Scott huffed out a low moan when she nipped at the cord that grew taut when he let his head drop back.

It was that moment, that very second of vulnerability that was his downfall. He was flipped before he knew what was going on, the world spinning on its head just before he met with the hard brick of the wall beside the door. Breath left his lungs for more reasons than one as Lana crowded him in, fangs at his pulse point and he raised his hands in surrender. Looking down at those eyes, the ones that he wanted to give everything to, surrender to their command, he saw the intention and the smile grew on his lips.

Lana backed away, gaze going to his gesture and slowly she reached out, wrapped her fingers gently around his wrist, one at a time and brought them up. Scott tried to keep the wonder under control. He didn’t want her to stop, but he needed to know what she was planning. One hand after the other was moved and Scott found himself placing his hands on his head, unable to hide the smile anymore.

“What are you doing?” he whispered, full of curiosity, but Lana looked at him with drunk eyes, half-lidden as she pulled back just a bit. He watched the way she moved, slow, calculated shifts like an animal taking in its prey. “Lana.”

“Keep them there,” was all she said. It was low, uncertain, fucking sexy, and Scott could tell she wasn’t completely sure about whatever she was planning. So, he was going to do exactly what she asked, and hope to God he didn’t scare her away.

He clenched his jaw, willed his muscles to stay put and curled his own hands into his hair the moment her fingers slid under his shirt. Inside his brain was going a mile a minute, trying to figure out what to do next, but he just let his eyes roll back in his head as they traveled north. He tried to hold in the sounds the light touches were creating but as soon as his shirt was up over his chest, he lost control.

Her tongue was like liquid fire, tracing over the rough peak of his nipple and he shifted in his spot, closing his eyes tightly as his lips curled back. He was completely human, lost in everything that she was doing, but the wolf was waiting, edging closer to the surface the moment she shifted from one to the other. Scott banged his head back once, trying to keep it at bay, like the pain would keep him human, that was, of course until she started traveling south, her hands on his belt before her mouth hit the post just below his sternum.

“No, no, wait,” he groaned out, but he couldn’t open his eyes, couldn’t give in to seeing her like that, on her knees before him. Any protests died the moment his zipper dropped. The warmth of her tongue, the strip of moisture that followed the hot breath on his skin traveled down, kissing over the line of dark hair just below his navel and that was when his resolve caved, and he opened his eyes wide.

Letting his chin fall to his chest, Scott tried to control the rise in his heart rate as he gazed down into those deep red orbs, the ones staring back up at him as she tugged the material down around his hips. He wanted to protest, to tell her that there were so many people on the other side of the door, but his wolf only made his opinion of the matter pretty clear when he let a growl start low in his lungs and ride up past his lips the moment she had him out and exposed.

Scott’s body trembled, his hands still not leaving his head as she licked a strip from the base to his head, right up the length of him, her fingers following, gliding along tight skin. He drew in a breath, hoping that if he died that very second, he would go to heaven with the feeling of her touch to last him until he was resurrected, even if he went to hell, this was definitely torture he couldn’t wait to relive.

Until her lips were closing over him and Scott couldn’t hold back, and at the first glide of wet heat, his hands came down and tangled in her hair, his lips parted, and he moaned. He could feel her echo it, still wrapped so solidly around him that it vibrated up and straight to his gut as everything inside tightened, threatening to blow.

He wasn’t a virgin; he’d be damned if he acted like one.

But, Jesus Christ, she was going to kill him!

He let his head fall back, closed his eyes, let his lips fall open and he just concentrated on her, the touch of her hands, the feeling of her mouth, the way her tongue flicked just under the tip, and he let it build, let the rush gradually reach a point where the heat pooling at his spine, down between his thighs was just too much and he started begging.

It was low, barely audible sounds of  _ please _ , and  _ oh, God,  _ her name and one last call out to the alpha in her, and that got a rumble that had him coming. The sound of it in the back of her throat, the way it coursed through him, straight up to his heart and he gripping her hair, clenching his jaw, his wide red eyes taking nothing but what felt like fireworks inside him and slowly, he came back to earth, her hands guiding him down to the floor.

Scott felt her fingers on his cheek, tracing his jaw, up around his ears before they carded through his hair. He could smell her, all of her, the deep seated need for release, but the fight to push it back was also there, and when he finally took a deep enough breath to get his head on straight, to stop the world from spinning, he opened his eyes and looked sleepily at her.

“Hi,” she smirked, kneeling on the ground between his widened thighs, and he gave her a small grin.

“Hi,” was the only word he could come back with, which made him bite his lip. 

Lana blushed, leaned in and let him wrap his arms around her. Scott sighed, bringing his legs up to surround her, but as he let his lips rest against her hair, his mind drifted to the coming danger, and the fact that her own beta was sitting outside in a cell.


	9. Episode Nine

Episode 1x09

In the dead of night, as the light from the nearly half-moon shined down into the common room, it was eerily quiet, save for the sound of Stiles deep breathing as he slept on the recliner angled just right to see the psychic wolf in the steel cage, whose bright blue eyes were locked onto the human. 

Up top, on the library floor, Liam shifted, still tucked deep in an easy sleep beside Theo, whose lazy, golden eyes were set on the spiral symbol that graced the ceiling above him. His hands were behind his head, his body relaxed even with the other beta pressed close. Liam was on his side, back to his packmate, but his spine followed the curve of Theo’s torso, pressed against it as if they were joined. 

It didn’t matter, he was used to it by now, and that wasn’t what was keeping him awake. He could hear the shuffles in the cage below, the way the man inside it did his best to pace even though there was no way he could stand straight up. It was making his skin itch, feeling the unease from the one under him and he finally huffed.

He didn’t push Liam aside, he slowly shifted away, like disturbing the beta would be the worst thing in the world, before he grabbed the extra pillow that had flopped off the top of the air mattress, snagged the discarded blanket from the ground, and headed downstairs. He barely turned an eye towards Stiles, who snorted, smacked his lips and adjusted his body into the tight spot. 

Scott and Lana were behind the bedroom door, Derek close by on one of the mats like something might get into the room and steal her, but then again, they had been talking most of the evening in hushed whispers, at least Stiles, Scott, and Derek had. Lana was too busy looking at Theo, Liam, and Turret, and from her scent, she was conflicted.

Turret stopped moving, those blue eyes landing on Theo as he stood just out of grabbing distance with the stuff in his arms. They were sizing each other up, a game they had played almost all afternoon, when Theo had started blocking the man’s view of Liam. The way he looked at him, like he was someone to get under his paws and slowly take apart, well that made Liam uneasy, which put Theo tilting on the edge. No one touched Liam and there was something just a little less disturbing in Turret’s eyes than had been in Jonathan’s, but it was still there. 

He dropped the supplies at the foot of the cage, huffed at Turret, and went to turn away. 

It was the voice that stopped him. “Did you know them?” 

Theo took a second to collect his thoughts, then slowly turned back, meeting dark green eyes instead of the wolf. “No, not really.”

“But Liam did?” Theo took two steps towards the cage, gold shining in his eyes as he growled, flicked out his hand as he let his claws spring out, but Nick only licked his tongue across his teeth, standing as straight as he could to smirk at the younger man. “No need to get defensive, Theo,” his name rolled off Nick’s tongue like he was savoring it. “I don’t mean your anchor any harm, I just want to talk to him about my brother.”

“I don’t think he wants to remember that,” Theo whispered, but his whole stance shifted, thinking about how bringing up that memory in particular could make the beta unstable. “He doesn’t talk about it.”

“Well, and that would be understandable,” Turret sighed, a bit of hurt in his voice as he finally let go of the chimera’s eyes and grabbed the blanket, pulling it through the bars. He held it up, gave it the once over and shrugged, “thank you.”

“For what?” but the beta knew, he was just trying to not be affected by it. 

“You know, I see why she chose you,” Nick tugged on the pillow, placing it down in the corner of the cell as he wrapped the blanket around him and slowly sat down, letting his body rest on something soft instead of the hard floor. “You’re like her in many ways. Loyal, fiercely protective, and when it comes down to sides, I’m sure you’d lay your life on the line for those you love.” Nick looked up at the ceiling, “like Liam.”

“Stay. Away. From him!” Theo snapped, a clear warning, as he edged closer.

But Turret was either unaffected or tired of the threats, because he simply exhaled. “He wasn’t the only one who lost him that day,” the words were like a confession, “Brett hasn’t been the same since. While his wolf is strong, his body is still recovering from the trauma.” His blue eyes gleamed as he turned to face the beta again. “Ten years later and he forgets, he loses control, he lashes out.” Theo crossed his arms, but it was more for something to do with them than to close off from the other man. “Sometimes people get hurt, but mostly he just stays by himself. The only person he really talks about _ is _ Liam, like it was the only thing he can focus on.”

“Because he was there?” Theo asked softly, more towards himself than Nick.

“Because he was the last person Brett saw, the last person to try and save his life.” Turret drew in a deep breath. “I don’t want to hurt your friend, I just want to know what happened.”

“Maybe we could talk about it in the morning,” Lana’s voice spoke up, catching the attention of both men as Theo twisted just a bit to see her standing there in a tee-shirt and sweats, her arms crossed over her chest. Turret had leaned forward, taking in her stance as well. “You know I can feel both of you, right, and while I’m not one for eavesdropping,” her eyes focused on Theo before going to Turret, “there is someone else in the house that doesn’t need this conversation right now either.”

Theo glanced up, saw the beta gold eyes in the darkness, even if he couldn’t see Liam’s face, then watched them disappear back out of sight. 

Theo moved, stepping up beside her to slip his fingers around her arm, caressing the fingers there. Lana closed her eyes as he leaned in close and pressed a kiss into her hair before drawing in her scent, a strange mix of her and Scott, something that didn’t strike him as weird anymore. 

“G’night,” he breathed against her before he glanced at Turret and made his way towards the stairs. 

Lana waited until he had settled down next to Liam and the light conversation overhead started before she stepped closer to Turret. “I want to let you out.”

“So, do it,” he huffed. “What’s stopping you? The alpha in the other room? Two betas upstairs, and a human in a chair? They’re no match for you.”

“As much as I want to be the one to say you go free, I’m not going to just open the bars and let you out before talking to them about it.” Lana found a spot on the floor and sat down, crossing her legs enough to wrap her arms around her knees. “What happened to Brett was traumatic for everyone, especially Liam. It’s the one thing he regrets. Please stop bringing it up, he’ll approach you in his own time.”

“You have so much faith in this pack,” Nick smiled, it wasn’t crooked, but just shy of amused. “And bravo on scandalizing everyone with your little show of power earlier. Two alphas mated,” he drew in a deep breath through his nose, “the power just radiates from you.”

“You’re disgusting.” Lana scowled, but she knew what he meant. “It wasn’t the right time, but it happened.”

“And the more you put off a bond, the more times it will  _ inconveniently _ happen.” Nick shuffled closer to her, reaching out a hand to rest on her ankle. “There’s not much time left.”

“How do you know that?” She narrowed her eyes at him, reaching down for his touch. 

“It will happen on the dark side of the moon,” Turret shrugged, “that’s all I know.”

“A new moon?” she shook her head, “that’s over a week away.”

“I just know what the prophecy says, alpha,” he blinked, lids heavy with sleep and slowly moved away from her to settle down on the floor with the borrowed blanket. “Mmm,” he hummed pulling it to his nose, “I can see why you always keep him close, he smells delightful.”

“Leave him alone,” she smiled, listening to him hum like an old woman in a bakery. “He’s not your type, and he doesn’t swing that way.”

“Too bad,” Nick yawned, “I can imagine he’s one hell of a cuddler.”

She shook her head, trying to suppress the grin as his heart rate slowed and he fell to sleep. Lana stood, eyes going over her beta again, before she turned and made for the stairway. The only reason she stopped at the bottom of the stairs was the feeling of eyes on her. 

Scott stood in the doorway, concern written on his face, and after a moment of checking her over to make sure she was unharmed, he gestured with just the tilt of his chin to the men up at the top of the stairs, and with a smirk, he disappeared back into the darkness.

*****

Lana felt herself waking, it was like slowly floating back to her own body, until she inhaled, expanding her lungs for what seemed like the first time, taking in the scents that surrounded her, familiar and safe, and let her eyes flutter open. She was in the library loft, had gone up to see how Liam was, and ended up staying. She could feel them both around her. 

Theo on his stomach, head against her side, just under her arm as she let her fingers flex on his shirt, tracing the muscles of his shoulder blades. Liam was on the other side, curled up as usual, but his back was to her, and every inch of him that he could manage was pressed to her body. It seemed to be his way to feel protected. Back to his pack, front towards the enemy, and he  _ was _ facing his enemy, as much as he could, since Turret was on the floor below.

“Here,” she heard Derek’s whispered voice, but like heat, it rose and with her sensitive ears she picked it up right away. “Stiles made coffee.”

_ Stiles always made coffee _ , Lana wanted to yell. 

It was part of his make up, a non-habit forming way to control his ADHD without popping Adderall or Vyvanse to keep it under control. Stiles was a coffee fiend, and she was really surprised he was sharing. 

But it was what was mumbled back that got her to smile, nearly laugh.

The groggy reply from Turret even had Derek snickering, and for some reason she could actually picture a smile on his face. “Mmm,” Nick whispered barely awake, “what the hell’s a Stiles?”

Against her, Theo’s body shook with mirth, but there was no sound, just silent laughter and his breathing. She actually felt Liam shake his head as he rolled over, smile on his lips even with his eyes remaining closed. He drew in air through his nose, found the open space between her arm and chest, nose as close as he could get, and settled down against her again, but neither man made a move to get up.

“ _ Stiles  _ isn’t a what, he’s a who,” Derek calmly explained, which in itself was weird because  _ Derek _ …  _ calm _ … not usually a combination, despite the stoic outer exterior he presented. The former alpha was always one of those mysteries that Lana wanted to solve. “Do you want the coffee or not?”

“I need to pee,” Turret huffed out, bringing back that childlike manner that had Lana rolling her eyes. 

He was flirting.

“Well, you’re going to have to hold it,” she heard the man stand, take a few steps back, and put space between the cell and himself. He could obviously read the man and Lana wasn’t sure of the reaction herself. She could feel Derek’s shift in chemosignals, and it was like he was suddenly confused. “We’ll wait for Lana.”

“Pfft, she’s so curled up with those boys, she’ll probably never leave that bed,” and there wasn’t any jealousy in it, at least nothing hurtful, more like longing because she remembered doing this with him too. 

Lana sat up slowly, even as Liam stretched his arm out, hand grasping for her shirt, but it was Theo’s blue eyes that caught hers, when she looked down. Jealousy or not, his tactic had worked. The older beta lifted his head just a bit when she carded a hand through his hair and kissed him softly, then did the same to Liam, whose whole body shivered from the touch.

She narrowed her eyes on the head of light, brown hair, concern ripping through her suddenly and the thought of leaving slipped completely from her mind. Glancing back at Theo, she gave him a confused shrug and watched as he pushed up on his hand to rest his chin on her shoulder.

“He’s been having nightmares,” the warm breath of the man behind her cascaded over her skin and she melted back into him. “Maybe a few more minutes?” Lana nodded, and felt him shift again. “I’ll get your coffee.”

“Thank you,” she looked up to watch him move, the sleep pants hugging every part of him from waist to thigh as he stepped and she almost thought of warning him that he would definitely be eye candy for the man downstairs if he wasn’t careful, but Theo tossed her a wink, like he knew what he was doing. That smug look had her sighing, jutting his hip as he stopped to lean a little weight on just one leg, accentuating his muscular features. Lana, herself couldn’t help but look, or look up at him exasperated.“Really?”

He raised his hands at the top of the stairs, “I never said I was going to promise to be good.”

“Don’t egg him on,” she narrowed his eyes at him, but could also see the threat in his eyes, “and don’t tease him.”

“Again,” he shrugged, “no promises.”

And with that, he disappeared.

“Well, you can’t lock him up, and you can’t kill him,” Liam whispered, catching her attention, eyes still closed, “so, what are you going to do?”

Lana laid down on her side, hand tucked under her head as she moved closer, and Liam reached for her, tugging her body in as he rested his head below her chin. Lana ran her hand up his spine, feeling his nose tip up to smell her when her fingers landed in his hair, nails scratching along his scalp.

“Who said I couldn’t kill him?” She deadpanned, but that only got a huff from the man she held, “besides, if he wants to flirt with the hunter, I’m not going to stop him.”

“You know Theo’s not like that,” Liam reassured her. 

“Theo’s not a lot of things,” she shifted, brought her lips to the top of his head and kissed him softly, “but he is touch starved. He needs it, and if Nick is willing…”

“You know,” Liam growled, “just… Gross, okay.” Lana chuckled, she loved getting him worked up. It was easy and while some might find him hard to diffuse, all she had to do was touch him. “And how can he be touch starved, he’s literally being touched  _ all the time _ !”

“Sometimes that’s not the way someone needs,” Liam leaned back, setting his eyes on hers and Lana thought of a way to explain it. “You’re his anchor, your touch is different, like a calming feeling, control. When you sleep, it’s security, safety, you are part of each other.” He thought this over a moment before meeting her eyes again. “Me, ah, I’m his…” 

“His alpha,” Liam provided and while still had trouble with that, she nodded.

“Just like you, it’s safety and pack, we can feel each other’s emotions, sense things that are maybe just under everyone else’s radar, but it’s still not the same.” Lana thought back to the field, the scent arousal was more than that, it was  _ need _ . A need to make sure the other was whole. It was confusing and intense but it was what it was, and Theo was right, they weren’t like that, they never would be. “A touch from someone who isn’t that close can be,” she paused, “it can be worth it.”

“So, you think Theo, who isn’t attracted to guys, is going to let your psycho beta get all lovey with him?” Liam grinned, and Lana backed up just a bit to take in his eyes. 

“Nick’s not psycho,” she smirked, “he’s psychic.”

“Same thing,” the man rolled his eyes, then his body as he slowly sat up, grabbed the shirt from the floor and yanked it over his head. 

“And no, I don’t.” Lana blinked slowly as the beta moved, put an arm on each side of her and leaned down, holding his weight above her. “Please, be careful,” she reached up, moved some wild strand from his face as his lips lost the smile. “I know he wants to get into your head, find out what happened that night, but if it’s too much…”

“I know how to take care of myself,” Liam bit out, but he wasn’t angry at her, he was trying to control the emotions. 

“Yeah, I can see that,” she let her fingers trail down his face, “but you don’t know him like I do, okay. Don’t avoid him, it will only spur him on, but don’t give in.”

Liam paused, as if his whole world had suddenly gone still and he stared at her just before the whispered words slipped from his mouth, “I didn’t know Brett had a brother.” He clenched his jaw, shifting back to sit on the bed.

“Liam, you don’t have to do this,” she propped herself up on her elbows as he ran a hand through his hair. “It’s okay.”

“No, I… I want to,” he took a deep breath, “with you. Not him, not the others, just…” he took her hand, brought it to his lips and sigh, “just with you.”

“Okay, do you want to go into the bedroom,” and the disgusted look on his face said it all. “Maybe not then.”

“It’s just you and Scott...” the blush on his cheeks was the most adorable thing, but she understood, and tightened her fingers on his. He huffed out through his nose and closed his eyes. She saw the moment his train of thought shifted and she moved closer. “I stayed, even with all those people watching me, even with the pain and loss, I couldn’t leave them again. It was my fault they were up there.”

“It wasn’t,” she whispered, knowing the story, knowing that they had made a break for the manhole even as Liam fought to stop them. 

But the beta nodded, “it was, if I had just gotten to them a little sooner.” He let out a low rumble in his chest, full of pain, but he swallowed it back and met her gaze. “Scott showed up, managed to get something, a car, an SUV, I don’t even remember, but we brought them to the hospital. Melissa had us wheel them in the back, down right to an empty room and it was so quiet. 

“I remember,” Liam paused, steadied his heart and went on, his eyes still on hers but not focused, lost in a memory, “I remember Melissa cutting off his shirt, needing to examine the wounds but I didn’t want anyone to touch him. I screamed,” he shook his head, “I screamed at her to get away from him, not to touch him. He was mine. He was my responsibility.” Lana gently laid a hand on his cheek, centering him. “They all left the room, left me with them.”

“Oh my, God, why?” there was just an edge under her voice that Liam responded to, shifting more into her, melting against the concern.

“I wanted to clean him,” Liam shook, “he was just covered in blood… so much blood. So, I got cloths and a bucket and I did, I wiped it all off him.” He paused again, “I tried to take the pain, but there wasn’t any. I wanted to make him breathe, but there wasn’t a heartbeat to make it move, and he was getting colder.”

“Okay,” she grabbed his face with both palms, focusing his eyes on her, “stop, Liam, stop now.”

“They took him and Lori,” the tears were cascading down his cheek, “they… they took them… and I…” he suddenly got angry, “why did they take them? They were mine, my pack. My responsibility.”

“Shh,” Lana tugged him in, pressing his face to her neck as she closed her eyes, and surrounded him with the scent of  _ calm _ , and  _ home _ . “I got you.” She felt him nod against her. “I got you and they're alive, they're safe.”

“I need to see him,” Liam mumbled, and while she thought he was talking about Brett, Liam was up and moving before she could stop him.

Lana rounded the stairwell and stopped dead in her tracks. Liam was facing the cell, his hands clenched at his side, fury and one other emotion that she couldn’t pinpoint showed in the way his shoulders moved. Theo was edging closer but Lana’s eyes were locked on the omega in the cage. The way that Turret looked at him compassionately, something she had rarely seen on him since long before the raid, made her heart skip.

“Liam,” the hunter’s voice was soft as he stepped closer, wrapping his fingers around the bars, “let me out.”

“I want the truth,” the beta growled. “I want to know if he’s alive.”

“Let me out and I’ll tell you,” his voice lowered to a whisper, like he was trying not to antagonize the man.

“Tell me the  _ truth _ !” and the tone was anything but stable.

“Nick,” Lana pleaded, “tell him.”

“Li,” Theo begged, “come on, little wolf, just… just back up.” 

“No,” and the rise in his heart rate was just like Lana had said, climbing and then suddenly racing like the cart was headed towards the bottom, uncontrolled. The claws extended, razor sharp. “I need him to say it.”

“ _ Nick _ ,” her tone deepened as she warned.

“Open the door,” the omega’s blue eyes shifted to Derek, who took in an aggravated breath, snatched the keys from Stiles’ hand, who had been standing there dumbfounded, and moved, unlocking the bolt.

“Are you out of your fucking mind?” Stiles snapped.

“Derek, don’t!” Scott growled, but it was already done. 

So many things happened at once. The door opened, Scott stepped up, blocking Stiles from harm, Theo moved to get to Liam, but there was already a body in motion. Nick moved with purpose, his arms wrapped tightly around the beta’s shoulders, drawing him in against him and Lana caught Theo by the arm, halting his movement.

They all watched quietly, eyes moving from one person to the other, back to the pair in the middle of the room as Liam leaned into the six-foot wolf, his arms coming up slowly, claws digging into the dirty dress coat as Nick let out a long sigh.

“Thank you, little brother,” was all anyone heard as Turret closed his eyes tightly.

Of course, it was Stiles that broke the moment. “What the hell just happened?” 

“What did you open the gate for?” Scott snapped at Derek.

“Let him go!” Theo growled but Lana just stood there, eyes on the pair, unmoving, which also meant not letting go of the chimera in her hold.

“They’re alive because of you,” Nick continued to whisper. “You did this.”

“I didn’t do anything,” Liam fought the embrace, as much as he could even if his body was giving in, clenching him tighter. He looked like Brett, just a bit different colored eyes, but they had the same features, the same smug ass attitude, how did he not see it before? “I couldn’t save him. I couldn’t even take his…”

“But you did, that’s how he survived.” Nick shook, chin against the top of Liam’s head, fingers tightening on the younger man’s body. “You pulled him back from the brink, you gave him something to hold onto. You, Liam Dunbar, you saved his life.”

Lana felt the air leave the beta’s lungs as just about the time that his knees gave out on him and Nick moved towards the floor with him, unwilling to relent as his omega blue eyes met Theo. And then something even stranger happened. The chimera winced, just for a second, drawing Lana’s gaze to his face as the anger faded from it, his gold eyes dulled, and he was suddenly breathing in quickly, emotions filling his eyes as the two stared.

Theo stumbled backwards, right into Derek, who seemed to be waiting for the moment the man faltered, but he only helped him to the armrest of the couch because Theo wasn’t going far. Lana also felt the moment the psychic wolf let go, and the one in her arms breathed a sigh of relief, emotions washing over him as he turned his sights on his anchor.

He wasn’t concerned about the hold anymore, he was concerned for the man.

“He’s not going to hurt him,” Lana whispered in his ear, knowing now that Nick was far from the man that they thought he was. He was the hunter outside these walls, but inside, surrounded by this pack, he was just one of them.

She kissed him gently on the shoulder, heard Theo swallow hard, his breath hitched and then she let him go, moving towards the open arms of the alpha waiting for her.

*****

Nick watched the movement of the pack. The coming and goings of the deputy -  _ Stiles  _ \- not with interest but just because it was in his nature to see everything, even from his spot on the couch. Derek was perched on the arm, not two feet from him, as he down the breakfast that had been laid out on the table. 

It wasn’t every wolf for themselves, which was something that he had grown accustomed to in his travels, but they moved in a strange synchrony that had him awed. There were other arrivals, most he only knew by face, not by name, but Lana sat across from him, snuggly tucked between Liam and the armrest, knees pulled up picking at her food, as the two of them whispered together. 

Theo had his back to them, but an ear keenly tuned as he turned his head just a bit, eyes cast down at the top of Liam’s head, nodding occasionally like they could see his opinion, which with the three of them, Turret wasn’t unsure that they couldn’t. Scott was on the other side of his beta, half leaning across Stiles, who had finally stopped moving, to talk to the banshee, not that he had met her personally yet, though names had been thrown around. 

Lydia, Derek had called her Lydia, which made sense. Stiles himself was snacking on a bagel, holding it just above Scott’s shoulder, along with a cup of coffee, held just a bit higher, ready to move at a moment’s notice should the alpha shift. 

Nick’s gaze went to the pacing beta that moved the length of the windows. A tall, lanky wolf who seemed to be able to completely tune out the group as he focused on the music that played through his earbuds, but that didn’t keep him from catching Nick’s eyes every time he turned in his direction. This one was interesting. He was Derek’s beta, though not. He smelled of both men, like a scent bond had formed, which to Turret’s surprise was what best described most of the pack. The only true blood bond was Liam, the rest were  _ adopted _ .

Which brought about the addition of Mason and Corey, those two names he did remember because, while not the only mixed species couple, they were the most affectionate. The two were standing off to the side, heads together in some quiet whispers scheming about something, which constantly brought their eyes right back to him. While Mason was human, Corey was something altogether different, part wolf, part something else. 

However, just as he started to delve deep into the scent of the young man, his vision was blocked by a long pair of legs, and an attitude that flowed off from her in waves. Nick felt the smirk come up on his lips as he tilted his head back, meeting her venomous eyes.

“Malia,” he greeted, as her arms crossed in anger.

“You’re right,” she nodded, not addressing him at all before she glanced back at the couple, “he does smell funny.” And Mason rolled his eyes, ducking his head away, as Corey stared wide-eyed at the woman in the middle of the room. “What are you?”

Scott sat up straight, then slowly moved to take the were-coyote by the shoulders, navigating her away from him, which only left Nick to glance around at the crowd around him. Stiles was the one that spoke up, actually, he mainly just shrugged and gave a crooked grin. 

“Sorry about that,” he glanced back at the pair, before letting his eyes land on Nick, “but it’s progress.”

“How so?” Turret questioned, genuinely curious as he sat back and crossed his legs. The jeans and long-sleeved shirt that Derek let him borrow stretched against his muscles. He would have preferred his suit, but with the blood stains, they felt it would have been a little off putting. 

“Malia spent a long time in her other form,” Derek explained, but there was just a bit of an edge to his voice, “social norms are still a bit hard for her.”

“That and personal space,” Theo added, and Nick could feel the chimera’s skin bristle from where he sat. Hmm, whatever that was seemed unpleasant.

“Yes, well,” he cleared his throat, “I guess we’re all a work in progress.” But his dark green eyes were now on Lana, who was scooting out from between the beta and the armrest. She stood, glanced at him, nonverbally asking him to stay as she made her way towards the kitchen. There was something off about her scent, and his gaze moved to the omega beside him. “Is she alright?”

“She’s itchy,” Theo volunteered, and while most wouldn’t understand, Nick smiled, because it seemed Theo did.

“So, you’re the one who runs with her,” he spoke softly, trying not to spook the man in front of him, but it was the one out of the corner of his eyes halting in his steps that caught his attention. Isaac slowly raised a hand, yanking both earbuds to listen. A very interesting thing indeed. Theo stood, rounded the couch, as if on the defense, but stopped before passing the coffee table. “I meant no offense, but I couldn’t figure out which one of you it was.”

Theo looked to Derek, clenched his fists as the omega crossed his arms and gave just a small rise of his shoulders. It was strange to have such trust so early on, and while he wasn’t going with total disclosure, Turret thought it would be best to take the first step.

“I followed you the night she showed you she could turn, but I didn’t see it happen,” he admitted, and watched as Liam sat forwards. “I was close, listening to the sounds of the woods because the scent of blood was strong.”

“The body,” Stiles sighed, “Sprague.”

“Yes, I would assume that was where it came from,” Nick sighed. “I tracked you as you ran,” eyes locking onto Theo’s, “I needed to make sure she was safe.”

“Why didn’t you just come out and say you were here? We could have taken care of this before,” Theo paused, huffed and shook his head, “before her  _ brother _ did anything? We could have stopped this then.”

“You’ve never met Mallory, or anyone like her in any of your battles here. Gerard Argent is a pest compared to what Ravenwolf could do to you if you were all exposed,” Nick closed his eyes to gain his composure. “Bringing me here has made you all a target.”

“Lana was one way before stepping into this territory,” Theo barked, “but she’s ours now, so let the old woman try and stop us from protecting her.”

“You don’t seem to understand,” Nick sighed, “it’s not Mallory you have to worry about, it’s the prophecy.”

“Okay,” Liam sighed, rubbing his hand across his forehead, “I am so done with hearing about how this is some predestined thing, and not hearing it out completely, so why don’t you tell us about it? Give us everything you have.”

“He doesn’t have to,” Lana’s voice spoke up from the kitchen, as Scott turned away from Malia to look at her, catching everyone’s eyes. “I know what it is.”

*****

It looked like story time in a library, or at least that was Theo’s take on the situation. The pack wasn’t scattered around the room anymore, they were all seated on one couch or another, or in Derek’s case, still perched on that armrest as close to Nick as he could get. 

The new beta didn’t freak him out anymore, in fact, there was something vaguely familiar about him that Theo couldn’t shake. It wasn’t the whole Brett thing, or maybe it was and he was catching Liam’s signals, but he could swear he knew him from somewhere else. Either way, Derek wasn’t letting him get too far, and by the way Nick reclined on the couch,  _ towards _ him, Theo didn’t think that Nick minded much.

Lana had found her seat, even if she hated behind the center of attention, which almost made Theo laugh at the thought because this whole thing was about her, but seeing her sit on that table in front of everyone just showed him how small she was. He moved to go stand with her, to help with the exposure, but he caught Scott’s eyes the moment he stood. The alpha wasn’t sure what he was doing, and while Theo wanted to be the one, he managed to signal his intentions with just his eyes.

Scott could be completely clueless sometimes. 

The alpha finally got it, and when he stepped towards her, Liam grabbed Theo’s sleeve and tugged him back down in the seat beside him. Taking in a deep breath, he could automatically scent the change in her, the anxiety seemed to settle and the hint of a fall night filled the air. He did it several more times, just to make sure that he was catching the right emotion, and then the pain happened, a hard slap against his chest.

Theo opened his eyes only to find the bright gold ones of his anchor staring right at him, confused and angry. “What are you doing?”

“Nothing,” his innocent return was met with a scowl from Liam.

“Sure, so, you always growl like a possessive dick when you do nothing?” Theo tilted his head just a bit, confused at what Liam was talking about but as he glanced around the room, he felt the eyes on him, and the blush ran up his face. Still he searched out one pair, and when he saw the smile on her lips, the pink of her cheeks and the way she bit her lip, he knew what Liam meant. “Yeah, see, not nothing, pal.”

“Shut up!” He huffed rolling his eyes, as he scratched his neck and looked away. Well, that was embarrassing.

“Now that we’ve gotten the vulgar displays of virility out of the way,” Nick spoke up, and for some reason, Theo almost pictured him with a small tea cup in hand and a posh English accent, but the beta continued, “may we get on with this little campfire storytime?”

“You know it as well as she does,” Stiles snipped, “why don’t you tell it?”

“He doesn’t have to,” Lana whispered, her fingers curling around the table edge, “it might make more sense coming from me.”

Scott was there in an instance, his eyes on her, blocking her view of the pack as they roamed her face, and a small, tight smile rose on his lips. “I’ll be right here, but don’t push yourself.”

“It’s just a bedtime story,” Lana sighed, “that’s all I know, all I… remember, but it makes sense now.” She reached up, let her fingers trace his jawline and draw him in for a soft kiss. “Actually,” she smirked when he pulled away, “you can do something for me.”

And that was how Scott ended up standing in front of her, facing the crowd as she wrapped her arms around his waist, with her chin on his shoulder. She felt protected, comfortable, and Theo held back anything that might sneak out, which seemed totally obvious to the two omegas on the couch across from him. He rolled his eyes, flipped them both off and slouched down in the seat, Liam shifting closer.

It took Lana a moment to get started. She pulled Scott in closer, drew his scent from where her nose met his shoulder, arm coming around so she could put her hand on his heart and Nick watched it all with fascination. He had never seen her so drawn to someone, anyone, like she was with these men, it was oddly comforting that she had found a pack, and that he was sitting in the middle of it, but his comfort turned to worry when his thoughts shifted to Mallory. 

He’s been out of contact too long. He must be slipping on his self-awareness because Derek placed a steady hand on his shoulder, getting him to look up, but Nick only shook his head. Now wasn’t the time. Both men shifted their gaze to Isaac, who slipped in the open space beside Nick. It was the closest the beta was going to get to Derek, but the way his cheeks flushed, Nick wasn’t sure that was all of it. He gave Isaac a wink, which got Derek to slap him on the arm. 

Yeah, he was fitting in way too well here.

“Okay,” Lana whispered, and for the most part that was as loud as she needed to get. “According to the legend, story, whatever,” she cleared her throat, “it started in a small village in northern France, back then the people were poor and the only way they survived was because of the lycanthropes in the area. They had a bond, a pact that they lived by.”

“A code,” Mason offered.

“Yeah,” Lana gave him a small grin, and a nod of thanks, “so the code was, the wolves would help provide food, meat for the village by hunting then the humans couldn’t and the humans would provide protection from the hunters. Until everything fell apart.”

“Who fucked up?” Malia questioned, “I mean, someone had to in order for something like that to just crumble.”

“A stranger came to town, one who knew just what half the residents were, and he came fully armed.” Derek watched the faraway look in her eyes as she focused on an abandoned coffee mug that sat on the table. “He hunted without them knowing, at least for a little while, but it was a lone wolf that found him, she was drawn to him, his scent, the way he moved.”

“A mating bond?” Scott was the one that spoke up this time, turning his head just a bit so he could try and catch her attention but she barely nodded.

“The hunter wasn’t just a man, he was a wolf, and he hunted because of that reason.” Lana let her head rest on his shoulder as she continued. “He killed nine of her packmates before she cornered him. When he saw who she was, when he really caught her scent, he fought it, fought  _ her _ . He refused to be brought into that world, and he left.”

“That’s it?” Isaac whispered, sitting forward, “that’s the whole story?”

Nick turned to him, hand on his chest and pushed the lanky wolf back into the cushion. “Have some patience,” but both suddenly realized the touch and Nick snapped his hand back, not without the sudden wide eyes of Isaac seering into his. The omega whipped quickly around, unsure of what the hell just happened and the electric pulse that zipped through his hand. “Lana,” his voice cracked, “go on.”

She hid the smirk against Scott’s neck, but the mirth in her eyes was clear as she kissed him behind the ear, something that got the alpha in front of her to try to duck away, before he shivered at the touch. Her bright eyes went to Theo’s, who watched with a tender gaze, affection written on his face, and the need to touch plainly there as his fingers twitched.

“When he came back, he brought others, more hunters, but his own target was her,” Lana let her eyes focus again and she took in a deep breath. “He chased her through the woods, used the fact that he could follow her scent, the way it called him against her, and found her standing by a large tree.”

“The Nemeton,” Liam whispered. 

“He raised the arrow, pointed it at her heart and fired.”

“Did not see that coming,” Stiles was actually surprised.

“When the arrow struck her heart, she wasn’t the only one that fell,” Lana’s voice lowered, like she was trying to breathe through the pain. “He could feel the pain rip through him, the way it pierced him, deep into the muscle and with every beat of his heart, he felt the blood rush from her. Around them, they said, the ground began to shake and he moved to the only place he thought was safe, the shade of the tree. He gathered her in his arms as the light faded from her eyes, but as she died, so did he.”

“That was the worst Hallmark movie ever.” Corey huffed as he snuggled closer to Mason, the dread of what had happened in the tale was reflected in his actions and Lana gave a shrug. 

“The legend has it that bonded mates would have survived, but because they weren’t, death took them both.” Nick added, sitting forward. “The bite doesn’t just seal a bond between the two, it seals the pack, making all of its members stronger, able to withstand something as outrageous as this, but it also comes with its price.”

“Well, don’t hold back,” Stiles was still the one with the questions.

“In a bonded pair, the death of one usually always leads to the death of the other, but in this case, the lack of a blood bond sealed their fate,” Derek answered, which got Stiles to look at him incredulously, before shaking his head as if to drive away a fog. Liam reached out, bracing Theo back against the couch with just his arm before the beta could fly off of it. 

“So, tell me the upside of any of this,” the human slowly stood, glancing from the couple to Derek and Nick, “you all want this so bad, but can you  _ not _ see how this is a very bad idea? Very bad, Scott,” he turned towards his friend, “as in one of the worse ideas ever.”

“Okay, Stiles,” Scott shifted away from Lana, making his way to his friend, and slowly rested his hands on his shoulders. “It’ll be alright, we’re looking more into it anyway, but there’s something else you all need to know.”

“Oh, this just keeps getting better,” the human snarked, and while Scott would usually have had it by now with the comebacks, he understood that the man was freaking out. “Is she going to grow two heads?”

Scott fought to find the words, his eyes going to her with a confused look but Lana only bit her lip as she drew in a breath. “We think there’s something more to what Lydia saw at the Nemeton.”

“That’s a given,” Nick sighed, but looked up as the room went silent. He hadn’t realized he’d said it out loud. “Miss Lydia is a harbinger of Death, not life, she doesn’t see past it,” he raised a brow, “nor does she see the events leading up to it.”

“So, you’re saying there’s a way around it?” Liam questioned, but Nick sort of bobbed his head, not a yes, not a no, and the beta sighed. “Not really an answer there,  _ Nick _ .”

“What he’s saying is that we can prepare for everything, but the outcome might still be the same, or,” Lana jumped down and leaned against the table herself, “it could be completely different.”

“Great, that helps too,” Stiles slipped out of Scott’s hold and turned towards the kitchen, stomping away. Scott glanced in her direction before raising his hands in an  _ I don’t know _ manner before following. 

“Okay,” Derek spoke up, rising from his seat, “looks like story time is over.” The pack moved like a meeting had been called to a close and Liam turned, yanking Theo up by the front of his shirt. “If you got work, get to it, if you don’t, well, go home and shower, you all stink!”

Theo scoffed, slipped out of Liam’s hold and found his way to the symbiote while Liam stuck his hands deep in his pocket as he looked down at Nick, who hadn’t moved. “You’re not going to try anything stupid, are you?”

“And why would I do that?” Nick crossed his leg over his knee, resting his ankle there as he stretched his arm out on the seat, extremely aware that Isaac hadn’t moved, but the beta’s eyes went wide as the sudden warmth behind him. The hunter’s gaze never left Liam. “You seem to still think I have a vendetta against my own alpha. Trust me, Liam, if anything, my ire lies elsewhere.”

“Just… keep her safe,” the young man growled, like Turret would take it as an order but both looked up as Theo wrapped his arms around her, pulled her in tightly for just a moment before he walked away, snagging the arm of Liam’s jacket before the two of them rushed out the door.

“That doesn’t seem to be a problem,” Turret smiled, but his eyes flitted to Isaac, who was comfortable enough in his position to pop the earbuds back in and drop his head back against Nick’s arm. The omega wasn’t about to argue, in fact he thought that the younger beta had a stunning profile. Derek slapped his arm again, drawing his gaze away. Lowly, he growled a harmless, “what?”

“That one,” Derek whispered, not needing to be any louder, “he’s mine, and if you so much as look at him wrong...” 

Nick raised his free hand, not disturbing the younger one with even a muscle twitch, as he caught the blue in Derek’s eyes. “I have no intention of harming any of them. No need to go alpha on me.”

“You don’t think I can feel your interest?” Derek crossed his arms and leaned in further.

“Oh, I think you can feel a lot, Derek,” Nick replied, tilting his head back, exposing his throat, submitting to the man, which oddly enough got a surprised look from the man above him, “but I don’t think you understand it.”

Derek hmmphed, stood and stalked off towards the kitchen with the others. The room slowly emptied as Malia hollered out her need to  _ go to work _ before disappearing. Mason and Corey slipped out before anyone had realized they were gone, and Nick seemed to get that it was a pattern, one that was accepted. 

Lydia grabbed her coat and keys, stopping in front of Nick before she left. The pause in her movements had his green eyes on her and she took in a breath, like she was scenting him but as she stared, he knew that wasn’t it at all. 

“Can I help you?” and it wasn’t malicious in any way, he was truly curious.

Lydia didn’t answer right away, she flipped her hair from her face and narrowed her eyes. “When it comes down to it, at the moment you need to make that decision,” she paused, watching the confusion rest on his brow, “make the right one. It could change your life.”

And then she was gone.

Nick shook his head, blinked a bit and felt Isaac shift on his arm. He brought his eyes around, resting on the beta beside him as Isaac removed the earbuds, a small smile coming up on his lips as the two fell into a comfortable silence in their shared space.

*****

Derek stood in the doorway, his eyes on Isaac and Nick, hand tucked away in his pocket as his fist clenched. 

“He’s not going to hurt him,” Lana whispered, catching his attention over the sounds of Scott and Stiles talking it out around the island. He turned from the door, dark brow raised and focused on her sitting on the counter beside the sink as he made his way over to refill the coffee cup he had left sitting beside it. Lana looked down, winked and flinched as he snapped the back of his hand against her thigh. “Ow!”

Scott glanced up, taking his eyes from the papers that Stiles had put before him, which caught the human’s attention and both watched as that pained look turned to a bright grin as Derek’s brows pitched higher and he pointed to the ground. This move only got Lana to make a face and look away. Derek turned to them, an expression of  _ she’s yours, do something _ written clearly in his eyes, but Scott just smiled and shook his head.

Before him lay a folder, complete with pictures, of all the cases Stiles could pull from the FBI database that had similar MOs to Jonathan. But, Scott was at a loss. “I don’t see it.”

“Of course you don’t,” he closed his eyes, tired from everything that was going on and lifted them back to the omega, “Derek, can we use a wall?”

“Yeah, you know how much I love your crime boards,” and that was sarcasm at its best. He came to stand opposite them as he leaned across the counter to glance over the papers before them. “You really think this is going to lead you to where he is now?”

“It’s a start.” Stiles shrugged, “he’s a narcissist and a maniac, they tend to follow a pattern.”

“Of evil lairs?” Lana smirked.

“Every evil villain has a lair,” Stiles shrugged, and she shook her head.

“It’s not a comic book, Stiles,” Derek snapped, eyes drifting behind him as Lana jumped down, moving to his side. 

“What does everyone assume I read comics?” The man growled, and it was impressive for a human. 

“Okay, so let’s get this thing up,” Scott distracted them, gathering the papers as he headed out the door, Derek following behind him to point out the perfect spot, but Stiles blocked Lana from leaving.

The symbiote took a deep breath and raised her eyes to meet his. “I’m okay.”

“You know, I might just be a human, but there is one thing I know, that I can sense without all the flair of wolf powers is that you are far, far from okay.” He gently placed a hand on her shoulder, bending his legs to get close enough to look into her eyes. “Yeah, see, there it is. The whole  _ not okay  _ thing is right there in those beautiful eyes, so try saying it again without lying.”

“Stiles,” she closed her eyes, as she turned her head away for a moment before nodding. “You’re right,” and he smirked, but it disappeared the moment her deep red eyes were back on him, and that still made him shiver, the change in her power, “I’m not.”

“Not sure this color looks good on me, not confident in the stock market, not good with that choice of creamer?” Stiles shrugged, “not what, Lana?” He heard the low growl in her throat and snatched his hand away, crossing his arms. “You know you’re my responsibility, right? Marin gave you to me to keep safe, I don’t feel like you’re safe, like  _ at all _ , so why don’t you stop with the FXs and talk to me.”

“I’m not sure I get any of this,” she huffed out her nose, “Nick, and Jonathan,” Lana ran a hand through her hair, “Scott?”

“Yeah, well, that I get,” the human smiled, “I’ve known him almost my whole life and I’m still not sure I get him either, but…” the smile faded, “I know one thing, you two,” that hand rested on her again, “you’re good together. Trust that, trust  _ him _ . As far as the other two, I don’t know. Nick is… odd, and your brother’s a psychopath, so there’s that.” Lana scoffed, grinning as she rolled her eyes. “Like, how does the apple fall so far from the tree?”

“Luck, I guess,” she took his hand, slipped her fingers into his and the two of them moved into the living room, only to stop and stare at the two on the couch. Isaac lost in this music as Nick sat there comfortably watching Scott and Derek without any inclination to move. “How about those two?”

“What do you get from them?” Stiles whispered quietly in her ear from behind. “I swear the moment their eyes met, it was like…”

“Magnets.” Lana whispered, her eyes searching out Scott instead of concentrating on the other men in the room. “He said true mates are so rare that they’re only in myths.”

“Yeah, but those two? Mates?” Stiles laughed lowly. “I don’t know, I mean, there’s no violent reaction, no claws and fangs.”

“Maybe that’s just the alpha side,” Lana crossed her arms, pivoting to face him. “What if that’s the key, that somehow the clash of power is the answer?”

“You think it’s because of your symbiote and Scott’s true alpha side that all of this is connected?” Stiles thought she might be insane once upon a time, but he was pretty sure of it now. “You’re werewolves, alphas happen, and we know they can co-exist because we’ve seen it, a whole pack of it.”

“No, what you saw was a hierarchy,” Lana bit her lip, thinking of the alpha pack that she had met along the way, that she did her best to steer clear of. “They still had an alpha, a high alpha.”

“I know, we had the pleasure,” he rubbed his hands together, palm over fist but narrowed his eyes at Derek and Scott. “You know, you just gave me an idea.”

“Um, okay, that’s good right?” She watched him nod, his eyes taking on that look and suddenly he stepped away, heading for the men, leaving her standing there. 

She drew in a breath, let the itch under her skin ripple through her, before she moved towards the counter where all the chargers were. Disconnecting her phone, she shot out a text to Theo,  _ I need you _ and hit send. When she turned back to the room, it was Nick’s eyes that were on her. He winked before she felt the connection in her mind.

_ “Is it getting bad? I can feel you from here.” _

She gave him a quick rise of her shoulders before she dropped them.  _ “How do I tell them I need to go?” _

_ “Just like that.” _ Nick broke it, closed his eyes and let his head fall back as he turned in Isaac’s direction. 

_ Fuck! _ Lana cursed her luck, trying not to outwardly stomp her feet as she felt the phone vibrate in her hand. Bringing it up, she knew what it would say and who it was from, but it didn’t stop the skip in her heartbeat when she saw Theo’s name on the screen and a simple  _ where? _ in the banner.

Scott was the first to look up, in fact, he was staring at her before she even moved towards them, concern on his face as he continued to breathe deeply through his nose. He knew what she needed, there wasn’t really any reason to say it, but his jaw clenched as she approached, head tilting just a bit.

Scott knew that scent, it was worry, mixed with fear and apprehension, and it had something to do with Theo. He didn’t know how he knew, but there was nothing wrong, not with him at least, that was when he caught it, just underneath the first few layers. Anger, desperation, a feral need. Scott shook his head to clear the air, just a minute movement that no one would really catch if they weren’t paying attention, but she was, and he heard her heart race. 

He narrowed his eyes, concentrated, and let his lips part, tasting it as well. It wasn’t what he thought when he first scented it, that animal nature of lust, but he remembered where he had smelled it before, right from the man himself when she was lying unconscious on the bed between them. She needed him in a way that Scott couldn’t give her, and while that should have brought on the jealousy, the rage of not being able to  _ be _ everything, it didn’t, not in the least and he moved around the table to take her hands.

“Did you text him?” Scott questioned quickly before she could even get a word out, “is he coming?”

“Scott,” and that worry seemed to over power her normal scent before he leaned in, pressing his forehead to hers. 

“It’s okay,” he let the scent of calm and safe fill the room, getting a shift from the wolves behind them. “Really,” his voice was just a bit of a smile before she opened her eyes and stepped back, confusion clearly in her eyes, “hey, you need this, it’s okay.”  _ He _ needed her to understand, but she let her chin fall to her chest, only for a moment before his fingers slipped under her and lifted it to look him in the eyes. “So, is he coming? Theo? He’s on his way, right?”

“Yeah,” she barely whispered and he leaned in, kissing her softly, feeling her body relax. 

“Where will you go?” And that got Derek’s attention.

“You can’t go out there,” the omega snapped moving up behind Scott, “it’s not safe.”

“Derek,” Lana pleaded, letting her wolf ripple across her features. “I can’t stay.”

“Okay,” he huffed, one hand on his hip, the other rubbing his bow as he thought for just a moment before his eyes lit up, and he grinned at her. “I have a place.”

*****

Theo took in a deep breath, the smell of musty, damp basement filled his nose, dirt covered most of the floor and he could almost hear the scratch of rat claws, and Lana sneezed beside him. He hated to admit he was pretty impressed with what Derek had come up with. 

The underside of his building was unlike anything the chimera had seen before, and he had seen a lot. It went on forever, arches that took up every twenty feet of ceiling. The columns two-feet wide bracing them, created pathways that you could get lost in if you were stuck there in the dark, water dripped endlessly somewhere in the distance, but there were signs of other life. 

Overturned concrete slabs had been made into skateboard ramps, graffiti decorated the walls, and Theo knew somewhere along the line some of Beacon Hill homeless had squatted there, that was until Derek moved in and the stories of red-eyed beasts had everyone running. Speaking of the former alpha, he stepped up beside Theo, arms crossed as he looked out.

“So,” he glanced at the two of them. Theo let out a slow exhale. It was safe, at least it was safe. He could almost feel the giddiness from the woman beside him. “What do you think?”

“Oh, yeah,” Lana grinned as she jumped down from the dock wall they had been standing on and disappeared into the shadows, only to emerge as a chestnut wolf, who pranced in place waiting on Theo.

“Go on,” Derek smirked at the chimera, “you shouldn’t keep a woman waiting.”

He grabbed the hem of his tee, started to yank it over his head just as he jumped and moments later, the two were off like shadows in the night. Nick stepped up beside him, Scott smiled from where he leaned against the support wall.

“I’ve never seen her like that,” Nick whispered, saw Derek glance at him out of the corner of his vision and cross his arms before he turned back to tracking the wolves. 

“That’s Theo’s gift to her,” Derek replied, and while there wasn’t a smile in his voice, there was pride for the young man. “You said you’ve seen them run, you should know by that alone just how connected the two of them are.”

“I’ve seen more than them running, but that’s not for me to judge,” Nick placed his hands in the pockets of his jeans, taking in a deep breath to catch the scent of the two somewhere in the building. “He’ll be powerful, and his anchor will make him stronger.”

“What’s your deal with Liam?” Scott questioned, suddenly pushing away from the wall to step closer to the two omegas. Well, he couldn’t really call either of them that anymore, could he? Derek hadn’t been packless for a while, but he hadn’t claimed Scott as his alpha, he just kind of stuck around, helping when he could. And Nick. Nick was with his, having followed Lana around the country. He stood still as the two men turned to look at him. “You seem different around him.”

“It’s called an imprint,” Derek offered, which got a strange look from Nick, like he hadn’t expected Derek to know anything about it. The dark-haired man gestured for Nick to go on and explain it, making him roll his eyes.

“An imprint? I thought that was something that happened only in the Twilight books.” Scott grumbled and that got Derek to laugh, “what?”

“Sitles is going to kill you,” Derek just shook his head, “you haven’t seen Star Wars but you’re reading about teen vampires?”

“For your information, I have seen Star Wars,” Scott growled at the man, “and I haven’t told Stiles because I’m not ready for the questions, I didn’t…”

“You didn’t like Star Wars?” Nick assumed, and Scott rolled his eyes, before shaking his head.

“No, I liked it, I just had a hard time following the timeline.” It had always been an issue of his, non-linear things had never been his strong suit and even when he watched them in order, he couldn’t quite grasp the series of events. “Besides,” he quickly changed the subject, “Twilight was part of the summer reading program before senior year.”

“Okay,” Derek finally laughed, dropping it, but he grinned at Nick. “Tell him what it means to us.”

Nick rumbled low in frustration as he turned his head just a bit and listened to the playful yips somewhere in the darkness for just a moment before he looked at Scott. “You were bitten, imprints for you can be a little different, but for born wolves, they usually come from a bond, mostly siblings but sometimes packmates. Like your fictional wolves, there’s an impression, something just outside the usual pack connection, a bond of sorts but deeper.”

“Okay, but you’ve never met Liam before, why would you imprint on him?” Scott was a little confused.

“High emotional states can create imprints,” Derek helped him out because while Nick seemed to be able to explain it away clinically, he wasn’t going to let his own emotions show. “Brett is that emotional link.”

“Brett?” Scott narrowed his eyes, still unsure. “So, what your brother went though, how Liam saved him, that created an imprint?”

“To put it simply,” Nick shifted his weight nervously, “yes.”

“So, what does it mean?” Scott felt suddenly threatened, like his first beta’s life was hanging in the balance and he did everything he could to breathe through the sudden protectiveness that flowed through him. “What do you want with Liam?”

“Nothing,” Nick dipped his head, submissively as he felt the wave of signals coming from the alpha. “An imprint is just that, an impression, something that ties him to me, but only on my side. I touched his memories, Brett’s, when I tried to help him focus, and your beta seemed to be his only focal point. Maybe I touched it too much, but there were actual feelings associated with it, touch, smell, sight,” Nick steadied himself, “taste, oddly enough, even if they boys were never  _ that _ close. Scent bonding can become something tangible when you draw it in through your mouth. I’m sure you know that.”

“So, you're saying that Liam imprinted from Brett’s memories?” The alpha’s eyes suddenly went red as he looked out into the darkness, a faint noise catching his attention, and Derek slowly followed his line of sight, but there was nothing. No worry or fear, and for a moment, they stood there silently before he turned back to Nick. “What does it mean?”

“I’ll protect him,” Nick whispered, like it was a confession that he really wasn’t comfortable making. “I have to.”

“Because?” Scott stepped closer, forgetting the fact that the man stood nearly six inches taller than him, Scott dominated the room anyway. Nick let out a ragged breath.

“He’s pack,” and that drew a deep growl from the alpha, who stared him down for a minute more, but the hunter never moved. Scott, however, backed away, drew something from his pocket and held out his fist. “What’s this?”

“Tell me about the body in the woods.” Scott’s voice was deep with his alpha side, an order that Turret couldn’t refuse and slowly he reached out his hand, palm up. Scott opened his hand and let the cuff link fall, the psychic wolf meeting his eyes. “We know you were there, that you knew about her, so tell me about the body.”

Nick felt the cold metal in his hand, closed his eyes and slowed his heart as he clenched his fist around it. “She was already out there when I arrived,” he started slowly, his voice low, calculated, controlled, and slowly his eyes opened to show the blue power behind them. “I followed Lana and Theo through the woods, tracked them without much problem, but she slipped away from me when the scent of blood became too overwhelming. I turned to see what it was just as her name echoed through the trees.”

“Theo,” Derek whispered, thinking about the night they met, when she attacked him to protect Scott. 

“When I arrived, she was already there, cold and gray, there wasn’t much blood, but it definitely wasn’t supposed to smell that way. I saw the cameras, knew if I wasn’t careful I’d be caught on them, so I took my time making my way around.” Nick looked as though he was lost in memory before he glanced at Scott. “I turned them off.”

“Wait, off?” Scott glanced at Derek, who seemed deep in thought, “Derek? You can turn them  _ off _ ?”

“Of course,” the man shrugged, “they always have a built-in switch.” His tone was one that made Scott sigh. “Why?”

“I thought they were remote activated, that the only way to cut the feed was at the office.” Scott blinked at him, as if Derek wasn’t getting the whole picture, something he hadn’t even thought of… or Stiles. “Dragons.”

“Scott, there’s no such thing as…” Derek started, getting a little fed up with the mythology.

“No, but Stiles didn’t think of the cameras either,” Scott raised a brow, “he didn’t think that someone might shut them off and that’s how we didn’t know she was there.”

“Right, because she didn’t magically drop from the sky,” Derek blinked back the implications, as he shook his head. He turned fully to Nick. “What did you do when you were there?”

“I was shot,” he answered,just like that, plain and simple, like it was the most normal thing in the world.

“By what?” Scott was just a little confused. 

“An arrow,” Nick smirked, “one laced with wolfsbane.”

Derek’s brow furrowed as he thought of the two things they found at the scene when he and Stiles went back. The cuff link and a bullet that hadn’t been fired. “Wait, your bullets are a mix of…”

“Gunpowder and aconite,” he replied honestly. “I uncapped it to stop the spread of the poison and then got the hell out of there. My link was caught on her hair and I had every intention of going back to get it, but whatever strain they used, it wasn’t healing.”

“That’s the reason for the claws,” Derek nodded, like it was all starting to make sense, but not only was Nick looking at him weird, so was Scott. The omega rolled his eyes before giving a little shake of his head. “You sat right in plain view of my security cameras, I saw you that night, parked on the south side of the building. Your claws were showing. I thought it was just a show of power but…”

“You couldn’t control the shift,” Scott spoke up, his eyes suddenly going wide as he turned to Derek. “Jonathan’s claws! The poison in Lana when we got her back here, that’s what it was, a form of aconite.”

“You said you could smell the wolfsbane on her, but there was something different,” Derek’s mind was going a mile a minute before all three turned towards the two sets of glowing eyes in the darkness, too tall to be wolves. “Lana?”

They stepped into the light, blood covering their naked bodies as Theo leaned on her, arm around her neck but definitely injured. Scott moved before Derek or Nick could think and he was taking the beta from her. Derek was the next to come down, wrapping her in Theo’s button down as they made their way to the dock wall.

“What happened? We didn’t hear anything.” Scott whispered as he laid Theo on the cold concrete, reaching out for his tee-shirt to give him a little modesty. Theo coughed, blood leaking from the side of his lips, and he turned on his side to spit, that was when Scott saw it. There was a slash four inches wide on his back. “Who did this?”

“I don’t know,” Theo huffed out, rolling back as his eyes grew heavy, “it was too dark for even our eyes to see, there wasn’t any heat or light to refract. When we figured out that we were essentially blind, we turned around.” He took in a painful breath, groaned and reached out a hand, drawing Lana closer. The symbiote at his side started drawing out the pain, but as soon as she pulled on it, Theo yanked his hand away. “I’m sorry, I’m… sor… sorry,” he huffed, “that makes it worse.” 

“Okay, so…” Derek sighed, growled and looked out into the darkness before giving out a roared, “ _ FUCK!” _ as he placed his hands on his hips, and spun to face him. “We have to get him upstairs.”

Derek reached down, hauled Theo to his feet before he lifted him up, bridle-style, and made his way out of the room, with Nick following. Scott turned to Lana, saw the shock on her face and quickly drew her in, wrapping his arms around her as she closed her eyes.

His heart broke at the words that quietly left her mouth, while his red eyes scanned the darkness, looking for threats. “This is my fault.”

  
  



	10. Episode Ten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The battle begins.

Episode 1x10

Isaac turned quickly from the window as the door flew open, sliding back on its wheels before crashing into the stopper, only to bounce back at the man who entered, carrying the unconscious body of the chimera.

Nick followed quietly, making his way around the common room, and into a storage area, one that he probably stared at all night. It was just a hole in the side of the room, bricks taken away to reveal the entrance, but he went right to it, with purpose.

Stiles moved from the wall where he had been looping a red yarn around the tacks that had been pushed into the concrete by Isaac because there was no way Stiles had the strength to do that. His eyes went wide when Derek raced for the couch, slowly setting Theo down. Stiles grabbed the blanket from its discarded position in the recliner and made his way over watching the urgent way Derek scanned his body for injuries. He nearly lost his breakfast when the omega managed to get him onto his side, showing off the line of black blood and puss.

“Jesus, what did that?” Stiles swallowed. Derek shook his head, finger touching the skin around the slash, drawing it back when Theo moaned. Isaac saw the instant the human’s train of thought shifted and his whiskey eyes went to the door, “Derek, where Lana?”

“With Scott,” the green-eyed omega glanced up at him and, well, that wasn’t good. Derek was worried, there was an emotion in his eyes that Stiles hadn’t seen in so very long, one that he remembered the night that he unintentionally killed Boyd. There was terror there, sorrow as he stared up at Stiles, begging for help. Loss.

It took the human a moment to get the message, Derek was in shock and Stiles needed to do something. “Okay,” he rounded the couch, nudged the man to move over and leaned down towards Theo. “You better not die, Raeken. I really don’t need a pissed off symbiote on my ass because you couldn’t hold on long enough.”

“Stiles,” Nick spoke up, and Stiles glanced up to see the bullet the wolf held out to him. “Use this.”

“You want me to shoot him?” It wasn’t that Stiles didn’t understand what the hell was going on, he just liked to be an asshole, and sarcastic. It was his only protection from most stuff, like the emotions that were about to creep up on him if he let himself feel anything but irritation. “Fine.”

He snatched the bullet, handed it to Derek, who gripped the cap by his teeth and yanked it off. Maneuvering Theo onto his stomach, Stiles turned, grabbed Derek’s hand, dumped the gunpowder and aconite into the man’s palm, and glanced up into his eyes as he dug out the lighter he always carried with him.

“Stay still,” Stiles whispered, waiting on Derek’s curt nod before he set the flame to the powder.

It blazed blue for a moment before the flame went out and only the warm texture of the poison remained. Derek knew what to do next, spreading it along the line, pressing it in with his finger. The wound sizzled, and Stiles swallowed back the bile that rose quickly in his throat, but he watched as the wound began to heal, and all through it, Theo hadn’t moved. The human’s eyes went to the door, standing slowly as Lana and Scott stood in the entranceway, her eyes brimmed red with tears, her hand wrapped protectively in his.

“Oh, thank God,” Stiles moved, closing the distance before anyone else had a chance to move and he put one arm around Lana’s neck, the other around Scott’s shoulder and both returned the embrace as Stiles tried to slow his racing heart. He let Scott go, a small smirk on the alpha’s face and just draped himself over Lana, leaning in close to his ear. “It’s healing, he’ll be okay.”

She drew in a shaky breath, hands tightening in Stiles’ shirt, but then she broke off and made her way down to the couch. Derek moved, but only just a bit as he straightened out the blanket, letting her kneel beside Theo, fingers reaching out to brush his hair from his forehead before setting her sights on the closing wound. Derek gently touched her shoulder, letting his fingertips run along it until he touched the nape of her neck, a feeling her eyes drooped from.

It wasn’t a possessive thing, more of comfort, telling her that he was there, waiting for her to need him if at all. Nick rounded the couch, leaned over the back of it as Isaac drew nearer, and he slipped his finger under her chin, raising it up just a bit so that her deep red eyes looked at him.

“He needs to shift,” the omega whispered, returning the show of power with his own, as if talking to her at that moment needed some sort of submission, but he saw the twitch of her lips, and moved his touch away. “The wolfsbane will only do so much, you have to trigger the healing process.”

Derek reached for his arm, stopping short only as Lana growled, which caught Scott’s attention, and the two walked quietly from the door.

“What’s going on?” Scott crouched down by the arm of the chair, eyes set on the way that Lana presented herself, and he did the only thing he could think of, he made contact, placing his hand on top of the one that threaded through the chimera’s hair, “Hey,” she blinked but didn’t respond, “Lana.” A small rumble was his only answer. “He’s not trying to hurt him, but he needs to shift.” Her eyes quickly went to the alpha whose eyes narrowed, glowing red. “You know it’s true.”

“No,” her voice was low, deep with the power inside her, but she otherwise didn’t move, “there’s no need for pain.”

“He has to change,” Derek snapped, and she whipped around to face him, the dangerous look in her eyes had Stiles stepping back, getting ready to bolt but all she did was blink, like seeing the omega for the first time. “You know how this works; you know he needs it.”

She tilted her head closer to Theo’s ear, not taking her sights off Derek, but she felt Scott move, come around to stand beside Stiles and her power flared.

“Theo,” the word was soft, tender, but they saw the moment it started to change. “Shift.” Nick was the first to back away, hands moving up towards his ears as the blue in his eyes became brighter. Isaac moaned, which caught Scott’s attention. “Listen to me, beta,” she leaned in closer, “shift.” Derek clenched his teeth together, trying to hold in the pain of the forced transformation, but he didn’t take his eyes off her, even as Scott squeezed his shut. Theo moaned on the couch, claws snapping out when Lana let the low vibration deep in her chest rumble out. “Do it  _ now _ !’

Stiles watched the wolves around the room all fall, even Derek who doubled over onto his hands, but it was Theo that surprised him. The man pushed up from the couch, claws grasping at the cushions, back bowed so that he looked as if he were nearly going to bend in half, but it was the howl that he let out that made Stiles jump back, hiding behind his half-turned brother.

Theo’s eyes were bright gold, a shine of red in them along the edges that Stiles had never seen, and fangs that were multiple times sharper than he could remember, but when the sound died, when Theo let his head drop forward, he took a moment to breathe. The chimera turned his head just a bit towards Lana, who was totally unaffected by the change and let his body crash down on the cushions, weak fingers reaching out for hers.

Scott stumbled back into his friend; whose hands came up to brace him. Nick reached out for the back of Isaac’s sweater, pulling the younger wolf closer against him and the couch, but Derek never took his eyes from Lana, not even as she finally broke the link between them and focused her attention on Theo.

“What the _ holy hell _ was that?” Stiles barked, Scott finally standing straight.

“Her alpha,” he whispered in return but automatically went for his phone, digging it out of his pocket. Stiles didn’t need to know who Scott was calling as he frantically placed it to his ear and chanted, “ _ come on, come on, come on,” _ before the line picked up, “Liam, are you okay?” and disappeared out of the room.

Nick glanced at Stiles with a smile on his face, not a full-blown grin, but a lazy smirk that confused the human before he noticed the way Nick held onto Isaac. Derek couldn’t have cared less what was going on with his beta, he was too focused on the woman before him, the one gently grooming Theo by running her hands over him.

“Well, now, wasn’t that fun,” the psychic wolf muttered, turning against the back of the couch. He slid down onto his ass tugging on Isaac’s outerwear, bringing the boy with him as he cuddled him close, protectively.

“Lana,” Derek reached out, slow and unsure, but when his hand reached her wrist, he let out a breath. She didn’t flinch, didn’t growl at him, only turned slowly, her own uncertainty of what just happened clear in her eyes. “It’s okay, he’s…”

“Healed,” that one word was so full of relief that Derek smiled, nodding as he slipped a little closer.

“Yeah.”

Theo tucked the blanket closer, covering up as much as he could. “Think someone could get me some clothes?”

Derek scoffed, let his touch slip from her, and stood. “I swear I should charge a clothing fee as pack dues.”

Scott stepped out of the kitchen as Derek went past, only catching his eyes for a moment before he moved on out of the room. The alpha sighed, made his way towards Stiles and watched the two by the couch.

“Liam okay?” Stiles crossed his arms over his chest, taking in the expression on his best friend’s face and saw the small nod that Scott gave before he finally broke the stare he had been giving Lana.

“Yeah, he’s good, didn’t even feel it.” Scott let out a sigh of relief, before rubbing his forehead. “God, she’s powerful.”

“Yeah, no shit,” Stiles huffed, “she got all of you in the room to turn, with just her voice.”

“It wasn’t just that,” the alpha shook his head. “There was something in the air, like a vibration.”

“Like the pack call?” Stiles was just a little confused, but Scott seemed even more so.

“Maybe,” he tapped the phone on the palm of his hand, that look still in his eyes. “But he’s healed, right, that’s all that matters.”

“It’s not,” Stiles grumbled and that got Scott to look at him. Stiles grabbed him by the sleeve of his shirt, dragging him over towards the wall, far enough away that unless they concentrated, the wolves wouldn’t be bothered to listen in. “What the hell happened down there? How did he get it in the first place?”

“They were running,” Scott shrugged, “and I don’t know, Theo said they went into a spot that was too dark for even our eyes to adjust.”

“Nothing to refract the light,” Stiles groaned.

“They don’t know who attacked them.” Scott was at a loss, but Stiles just shook his head.

“I do,” he turned to face the board, just in time to see Derek join them. In the time it took to explain the circumstances of Theo’s injury, the omega had grabbed, and delivered, the necessary clothing. He stood, arms crossed, positioned just enough to see all four people, eyes mainly focused on the way that Nick and Isaac sat quietly behind the couch. “These are the last known hideouts that we could ascertain from the information we have on Psycho Wolf.”

“How do they even know where he stayed?” Scott shook his head. All of the places on the board were rundown houses and old factories.

“Argent and the FBI,” Stiles shrugged. “It’s pretty easy to follow a psychopathic, mass murderer when he purposely leaves calling cards and clues.” He pulled down one of the photographs, a body similar to Sprague’s and held it out to him. “Not all of them have this left behind, but a good portion do, and there’s a reason for that. Take a wild guess who our friend is leaving this morbid treasure for.” All three sets of eyes landed on Nick without hesitation. “It’s not just a calling card, it’s a pack call, in his own demented way, Jonathan is telling Turret right where he is, which is why he wasn’t all that shaken when he found ours on the preserve.”

“Nick said he was shot by an arrow, ones like the Argents used to use,” Scott handed the picture back, and stepped closer to the wall. “So, where would a wolf get ammo like that, and I thought he said that the whole order of werewolf hunters was gone.”

“Yeah, well, even we know our share of mercenaries.” Stiles announced and tacked the picture back up. “The point of this is we know enough places around here that fit the description of Jonathan’s favorite vacation spots, hell, we were trapped in one ourselves, so now the problem is narrowing down the field to pinpoint it.”

“Right,” Scott sighed, his eyes trailing over to the way that Lana sat on the coffee table, leaning forward enough to take Theo’s hand, even if the beta was reclining on the couch, eyes closed, but sitting up. “Let’s give them a bit, I know he’s healed but I don’t think it’s enough.”

“What if he was in the basement?” Derek whispered.

“There’s no  _ what if _ ,” the human grumbled. “That wound, the way it looked, that was Lana’s injuries minus the nails. Kanima, wolf, and aconite. Whatever Jonathan cooked up, it’s lethal to you.”

“No,” Scott narrowed his eyes at Lana, “it’s lethal to her. Theo was never going to die from it.” And this got both the men’s attention. “Think about it, he was out, but while the wound looked bad, it started to heal when Derek used the wolfsbane. When Theo shifted, it cleared it out of his system.”

“She had to force his shift, Scott.” Derek sighed, “how is that not lethal?”

“She couldn’t control hers,” the alpha replied. “Right? She couldn’t shift enough to start the healing process because she couldn’t make herself change, not under her own power. We had to remove the claws in order for her to heal.”

“Scott’s right,” Stiles crossed his arms, and closed his eyes briefly before he let out a breath, “it’s dangerous for you, it’s deadly for a symbiote.”

“His calling cards,” Scott whispered, glancing over at Lana, before turning back to his friend, “were they all from her pack?”

“Not all,” Stiles sighed, “not all.”

*****

The room was quiet, the rain outside had shut out the sun, making the day gloomy and the inside of the dark loft even more so, but as Lana stood there, watching out as it cascaded down the large windows, she couldn’t shake the feeling inside. It wasn’t until Scott’s arms circled her waist that life around her seemed to come back into focus.

She could hear Derek talking softly to Stiles, Nick mumbling with a smile in his tone to Isaac from the loft above, and Theo desperately trying to convince Liam that it wasn’t necessary to leave work, that he was fine. Still, there was something off about the feeling in the room. Scott pressed a kiss along her cheek, just below her ear, and felt her shake.

“I didn’t mean to scare you,” he spoke softly, unsure if his actions had caused that quake in her body.

“You didn’t,” she tried to reassure him, but could still feel his confusion. Lana turned in his arms, reached up and placed her fingertips along his jaw, seeing the connection brighten his brown eyes, not enough to make them red, but enough to see the spark. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, “I guess I’m still a little off.”

“From what happened with Theo?” and he wasn’t asking for confirmation as much as clarity, because he could feel it in her touch that it wasn't the beta, and she gave a small shake of her head. “Tell me.”

“Eyes,” she barely whispered the word, even as her blue ones focused on his, “there’s eyes on us, right now.”

“We’re twelve stories up,” but he wasn’t brushing off her feelings, he was analyzing it. “Who could be watching us all the way up here?”

“It’s going to sound stupid,” she tried to pull away, but Scott’s grip on her tightened. He had to make sure she knew he believed her, that he was there with her every step of the way.

“Jonathan.” A statement, not a question but it got a nod in response. “I thought it was just me.”

“We should call the rest of them,” Lana closed her eyes, trying to drown out the sudden beat of a very loud heart. The pain in her head made her cringe, and Scott backed up the moment she opened them wide, a deep crimson red, and began searching the room. “Scott, there’s something...” Her eyes focused on Nick, who slowly rose to his feet, claws out, teeth bared, then landed on Theo, golden hue brightly lit as he stared at her. “Run,” she whispered quietly, as Scott followed her gaze. She patted him on the chest before she turned to Stiles and Derek. “ _ RUN!” _

The skylight above them smashed, raining glass down in the middle of the room. Against her very words, the five male wolves in the room shifted, baring claws and fangs in a mighty show of power. The collective roar they let out wasn’t weak, it vibrated the windows at the back of the building, but what crouched before them on the floor, in the middle of the shrinking circle wasn’t a wolf, it wasn’t something that resembled a kanima either, with green scales and a lightning fast tail, but it was just as terrifying.

Stiles grabbed Lana’s hand, yanking her towards the door under the stairway towards the back of his crime board, one that was completely painted black and unremarkable to the point that it hid well in the shadows. With a glimpse back at the pack, Lana made eye contact with Scott, just a momentary glance that was followed by a nod, and Stiles pulled her out the door.

They made their way down the stairway, wide enough only for one-way travel, and dark as hell. He pulled his phone, clicked on the flashlight setting and lit their way as he kept one hand wrapped solidly around hers. Above them, the battle seemed to echo and the howls of pain that the men let loose had her pausing on a landing.

“Lana!” Stiles gave her a tug, “Lana, let’s go!”

“They could be dying.” She swallowed hard, not taking her eyes off the flights above her.

“No,” he laughed awkwardly, “no, they couldn’t. You don’t know the tenacity of these guys. Trust me, they’re a lot harder to kill than you think.” Lana looked at him questioningly as Stiles caught his mistake. “You know what I mean.”

The growl that traveled down from above had them both looking up before she brought her pleading eyes back to him, but he stepped up, placed both hands on her shoulders and stared deep into her gaze.

“We  _ have _ to go.”

Lana’s gaze fell, she gave him a barely-there nod and Stiles took her hand again. As quickly, and quietly, as possible, the two made their way down and out the door. The Jeep sat around the corner, and it didn’t take much to find their way to it, an eerie silence filling the space outside.

Lana looked up, as the glass above them shattered, and Stiles slammed the Jeep in gear, stepped on the gas and pulled away from the building. What fell from the tower wasn’t a wolf, but it wasn’t human either.

“Stiles!” Her voice was full of panic as the creature stood from the ground, bright orange eyes locked on them as he put one clawed paw in front of the other. “Stiles, go faster.”

“I’m going as fast as I can.”

“It’s not fast enough!” She reached over, grabbed the loose material of his shirt and tugged. “Step on it.”

“Do you wanna drive, cause I could just pull over right…”

She yanked at him, pulling him closer to the middle of the car, and growled in his ear. “ _ Go faster _ !”

“Oh  _ my _ , GOD!” Stiles barked back and floored it. “Alright, fine!”

Lana let the way she held on relax as the creature quickly fell behind. Swallowing hard, she turned, landing in the seat with a huff, before she blinked and glanced at him. Stiles' eyes were focused on the road, both hands locked around the wheel, and he was shaking.

“Stiles?”

“Don’t,” he snapped, glancing at her quickly before putting his amber eyes back on the road, “just sit there and be quiet, okay? Just for a few minutes.”

Lana curled into herself, pulling her feet up onto the seat as the silence filled the car, but she focused on his heart, the way that it raced, and she gave him time. The beat slowed, the white-knuckle grip on the car loosened and Stiles took a breath.

They traveled for what seemed like forever, which in actuality wasn’t long at all, but it all stopped when Stiles pulled up to a gated road. He put the Jeep in park, grabbed a set of keys that were tucked under the visor and jumped out, pushing the gate aside to move the vehicle through, before doing the reverse as soon as he was out of the way.

Lana sat up, glanced around at the wood-lined, dirt road, curiosity getting the better of her, and her eyes landed on his profile. “Where are we?”

“West side of the Preserve,” his voice went deep with checked emotions and he glanced at her. “The backside of Peter’s property.”

“The cabin?” She shook her head. “Why?”

“Because this is the meeting point,” Stiles barked, brows raised as he looked at her, “this has always been the meeting point, so if they’re still alive, they’ll come here.” Lana looked away as he pulled up and parked in front of the building. She closed her eyes as he shifted towards her in the seat. Cautiously, he reached out, taking her hand, but that didn’t get her to look at him. He took a breath, leaned over and set his chin on her shoulder. “Hey,” she flinched at the sound of his voice, “they’ll be okay.”

She gave him a slight nod before they separated and slowly exited the Jeep. Once inside, Stiles went around checking all the windows, but the last thing Lana expected to see him do was put a line of mountain ash across the floorboard of the door they just entered.

“Wait, how the hell are they going to get in?” The panic in her voice had Stiles moving, taking her by the shoulders before he moved them down to hold her hands. He could feel her shaking, eyes dark red and glowing.

“First,” he tried to keep his voice calm, “shut it down, okay, remember we talked about this, no need for all the glowy stuff, so just knock it off.” She closed her mouth and gave him a look that told him she was spending too much time with Derek. “Second, trust me when I say they know how to get in here.” And the scowl on her face said he was right, definitely too much time with the grumpy wolf. “We just have to be patient.”

Lana stepped back, slipping out of his grasp as she turned and moved towards the windows. Stiles sighed, let his chin drop to his chest for a moment, before watching her back. She didn’t move, and he could see the anger in her reflection.

With a sigh, he spoke again. “I need your help,” and his words brought her eyes to him but only in the window, “we have to prepare for the worst, so I need to bring stuff up from the basement, and I can’t do it alone.” 

Lana slowly turned towards him, there was something off in his voice as he stood there with his hands on his hips, an uncertain emotion on his face and suddenly, he was clenching his jaw.

“Look, I have an irrational fear of basements, of underground places actually. Started when my dad, Melissa, and Argent were stuck under the Nemeton and it’s just grown since then. Of course, there’s the ghost in Scott’s basement, so that doesn’t help.” He started rambling as she moved closer, his eyes fixated on the ceiling, “then there’s all the times at the school when shit happened down in the storage closest, and the Hale vault, that was fun.” He looked down into her gaze as she placed a hand on his cheek, giving her a weak smile. “Not to mention, the tunnels with the Dread Doctors.” He swallowed back the fear, “I’m… I’m really fucked when it comes to stuff like that.”

“I’ll help,” she whispered, and Stiles closed his eyes, giving into the warmth on his cheek as he leaned into it.

“Thank you,” he sighed out.

*****

Lana paced. It had been hours and under her skin, her wolf grew edgy. Stiles put out the call, but he felt the rest of them were safe at home, locked behind their own doors. Malia was with Lydia, and Corey and Mason were secure in the fact that while no wolf could get in and out through the mountain ash, Corey’s chimera make up allowed him to pass with no problem. 

It was Liam’s arrival that gave her some sort of peace. The basement door opened, catching her attention from the kitchen where she stood at the island, staring down into the glass of whiskey that Stiles had left, and slowly she moved. The human was upstairs, no doubt sitting in the room that Scott had used last, and he was quiet. She hadn’t had the heart to disturb him, but the basement door was not what she expected to hear.

Slowly, she rounded the corner, eyes deep red and searching, but she was following the racing beat of a heart. Liam could control the shift at a higher heart rate now, where before he would change as soon as he got into a certain zone, feeling the panic and the anger, but now… a wolf might mistake the racing for a human being in a frightened situation. It was a masking of sorts, something to throw off other werewolves in the area, and he did it well.

She turned and looked into the darkness, watched the way the shadows moved some darker than others, and he slowly stepped closer, golden orbs lighting up the night as Lana let her power fade, letting her fears take over as she drew in a sharp breath.

Liam moved out into the light, his lips drawn in a tight line, and he stopped four feet from her, eyes roaming over her body, but finally locking on her face. She felt her lips quiver as her breathing picked up, the emotions of seeing him there, standing unharmed before her made everything in her want to howl, but she was silent.

“I had him,” she finally let out after a long pause, neither of them moving. He clenched his teeth, rolled his fingers into his palm as the anger came out in waves, and she saw that flash of memory again. “I had him, and he was,” she caught her breath for a second, “he was okay, he had healed, and then I… I lost him.” Her eyes went wide as the tears and the anger she had been holding in since Stiles yanked her out of that room glided down her cheeks. “I lost them all.”

Liam moved, his arms wrapping tightly around her as his hand came up to her hair, pressing her nose towards his neck, curling around her to hold her close. “It wasn’t your fault.”

“I could…” she shook her head, “I should have stayed and fought, I shouldn’t have left them.”

“Lana,” Liam growled, like his power was supposed to make her pause, “it’s not your fault.”

“Scott…” she protested again, but it wasn’t like she didn’t believe him, it was just everything… all of it was too much.

“Is an alpha. Derek, Nick, Isaac,” Liam swallowed hard at the last name that left his lips, “Theo. They’ve all been through hell, and they’re still here.” He pushed her back, hands on the side of her neck as he looked into her eyes, “they’re  _ all _ still here.”’

“Hey,” Stiles barked from the top of the stairs, “what’s going on?”

Liam took a breath, steadied himself, and wiped the tears from her face with his thumbs, “nothing.”

“Yeah, totally looks like nothing,” Stiles’ rolled his eyes as he moved past them and into the kitchen. “Lana, really? With the whiskey?” She smiled at that one because she could almost hear the moment he drank it down, the sudden intake of breath as he fought the burn, and then his hand slapping the counter. “No wonder Peter keeps that shit here. Holy…”

Liam took her hand gently in his and the two of them moved towards the kitchen only to find Stiles standing there, elbows on the counter and his face resting in his hands, looking wearily at the empty glass. Lana took a seat, reached her figures to run the tips down his arm and Stiles blew a long exhale out his nose while Liam went to search the cabinets.

“This is driving me fucking bonkers!” The human stated not directed towards anyone, before he whipped around and looked at Liam. “Anything? Anything at all?”

“No,” the beta shrugged, a half-gallon of apple juice in hand, “nothing, not even a text.”

“Lana?” He gazed at her pleadingly, “something? I mean, come on, you’re an alpha to a psychic wolf? Haven’t you gotten a blip, some sort of feeling from him?”

“No,” her eyes went to the counter as if she were searching again. “Not even a tingle.”

“Okay, that sounds…” Stiles shook his head, keeping the rest of his comment to himself. “We’ve got to do something.”

“Hey, doesn’t Peter have a computer around here?” Liam questioned, standing straight with his back to them, but Stiles just glanced at Lana before turning towards him.

“I don’t know,” the deputy was at a loss. “I don’t go around asking the devil for favors, you know.”

Liam rolled his eyes as he turned, narrowing them at Stiles. “Can you get onto Derek’s security feed from your phone?”

“His…” Stiles stopped, let his head roll along with his eyes, reached out and grabbed the beta, kissing him hard on the forehead before suddenly sprinting away from the counter. There was rummaging upstairs, like Stiles was throwing stuff and both the beta and symbiote in the room stared up at the ceiling.

“How much do you wanna make a bet Peter blames that on me?” Liam sighed.

“Could be worse?” Lana grinned, “we haven’t heard any glass…” suddenly, the sound of a lamp shattering echoed through the house, “never mind.”

“Sorry,” Stiles yelled, “sorry, I’ll replace that.”

“See,” Liam growled, “Peter’s going to kill me.” Stiles slid into the room, old wooden box in hands, and Liam watched as he put it on the counter. “What is that? A book?”

“No,” Stiles huffed, opening the top to reveal the silver edge of a MacBook, “it’s a laptop.” He pulled it out and placed it down on the counter, flipping open the screen as he quickly fired it up and entered the passcode, watching as the two of them stared at him. “What? I can’t help it if he doesn’t check to see if anyone’is watching when he logs in.”

Liam came around the corner as Stiles typed away, breaking into the security cameras at the loft, with Lana on the other side. All three stood straight as they looked over the damage. There was nothing left standing. All the furniture had been overturned, claw marks were visible on the concrete walls, pools of blood were evident on the floors, but there was one thing missing.

“Where are they?” Stiles whispered, and Lana moved in, gently fitting herself between him and the desk as she maneuvered through the views, stopping when she finally had all four directions of the building covered. “What the hell?”

“His trucks gone, both trucks.” Lana breathed out, just above a whisper.

“And Scott’s bike,” Liam added, but the Camaro was still parked in the spot Derek had left it. “This is good,” he glanced up at Stiles, “right? If they’re gone, that means they all got out okay.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Stiles reached out to the counter, grabbing the phone that he had set there and quickly picked up, dialing out. He held it to his ear as Lana concentrated on the screens, flipping through the views, until she stopped, grabbing Liam’s attention. “Melissa, hey, it’s Stiles.”

“I know, I saw your name pop up.” The woman on the other end smirked, he could hear it in her voice.

“Uh, have you heard from Scott?” Stiles turned back to the wolves at the counter, watching the way they leaned into the screen but shook it off as he concentrated on the woman who had been like his mother since his own had passed.

“Not since this morning when he checked in, why? What’s going on?”

“Nothing, I think maybe his phone is just dead,” Stiles lied, he was good at that, pretty convincing when you weren’t being interrogated by a werewolf, but his eyes went to the pair. “I’m sure he’s fine.”

“Stiles, what aren’t you telling me?” Okay, so maybe he wasn’t as good as he thought.

“Really, Melissa, I just think he’s out of range or something,” he stepped closer to the counter, eyes going to the view they were looking at and suddenly he understood the curiosity. “I’ll call you back.”

Stiles disconnected, set the phone on the counters and reached out a hand, pointing his finger at the man in the middle of the screen propped up against the side of Theo’s truck facing the camera.

“Why is Derek just standing there?” His voice shook as he asked, his open palm running over Lana’s shoulder before he gave it a squeeze. And he was just standing there, eyes locked on the camera, not moving. In fact, it looked like he hadn’t moved in a very long time. Liam zoomed in, changed it to night vision and Lana’s breath hitched. There on the side of the truck, written in blood, was three words. “Come get me?”

“Jonathan,” Lana growled, but Stiles hand stilled her movement.

“What the hell does  _ come get me _ mean? Come get who? Derek?” Liam questioned, but that was when they saw the small movement of his eyes, focusing on the camera then moving to the left.

“Pan it,” Stiles swallowed, suddenly bringing his hand down on the mouse to move the camera, following his line of vision. “Oh, God.”

There, tied to the trees around where the Hale house used to be, were the other four wolves, but none seemed as in good shape as Derek, in fact, Scott wasn’t even tied up, he was leaning against a tree, slumped over as if there were no life left in his body.

The symbiote under his hands growled, shifted and moved out of the kitchen, and then came the tearing of clothes. Liam stared wide-eyed at Stiles for only a split second before turning. 

“LANA!” Liam yelled after her.

The chestnut wolf charged the windows with complete disregard for the mountain ash that surrounded the house, but both men stared on as she went  _ through  _ it, a bright blue light blinding them before the sound of glass shattering filled the night, and she was gone.

Stiles moved towards the window, looked out over the open span of the field and his hands went up into his hair. Liam growled as his eyes changed to a bright gold, trying to get a lock on her heat signature, but here was nothing.

“She’s gone,” the beta whispered, his voice low and full of pain.

“Son of a…” Stiles started low, but he screamed out the last part, “ _ BITCH _ !” before yanking on his hair. He stalked back to the kitchen and grabbed his phone. There was only one thing he could think of doing and it probably was the worst plan ever. “Come on, we’re going after her.”

*****

She raced through the woods, her eyes set on the target, her nose turned up the scent that always drew her to that one spot. Old blood, Derek, and Stiles, but there were new scents in the air, more familiar. Nick, Theo… Scott, and her heart raced. She stopped at the edge of the clearing; her paws tapped on the line just before the trees broke.

She could see him, Derek, the way he stood against the truck, unable to move, his eyes coming to her, but nothing else. She saw his lips part, his breathing pick up, but her nose flared at the smell of fear, and anger raced through her. She lowered her head to the ground, scanned over the area carefully and took that one step out into the clearing.

Derek watched as she shifted, not quite fully, but she didn’t look like any bitten wolf he had ever seen. A fine coat of chestnut hair still covered her, thicker in some spots but her facial features were recognizable. She moved closer, claws out, eyes roaming, and she paused not far from him.

She tipped her head back, audibly drew in the scents that surrounded her, but her deep red eyes came to land on Derek. She took in the slash across his stomach, only visible this close since his shirt covered most of it and she leaned in, scenting him before she sneezed and backed away. The kanima poison was still in him, that was why he wasn’t moving.

“Lana,” he whispered out her name, getting her eyes to focus on his, “you can’t stay here, it’s what he wants.” But she tilted her head as if she didn’t understand what he was saying. She stood straight, reached out with the tip of her clawed finger and shifted his shirt. “Please, listen to me, little alpha, you need to leave.”

The nickname got her to blink, to almost recognize him, but all she saw was the wolf inside him, her  _ packmate _ , her  _ omega _ ? No, that wasn’t right, this wolf was hers, he wasn’t alone, and she scoffed at him.  _ Beta,  _ he was a born wolf, and part of her pack. Scents caught her again and she backed away, turning left to look at the others.

Theo stared, fought against the ropes that bound him, trying to get at her but Lana moved slowly towards him.  _ Her _ beta. She could smell herself on him, knew that there was a scent bond, but felt him still when she leaned in, pressing her nose to his neck. There was poison in this one too. With a low grumbled, she backed away, stated into his golden eyes and let her eyes roaming over him.

A cough came from her left, moving her away from the man in front of her, gliding up to the lanky wolf whose blood fell from his lips. His yellow eyes were dull, fading and she drew in his scent before looking back at the man by the truck. His one was his, but still familiar. Isaac drew in a deep breath, tried his best to get away, even with the tree behind him, but she still reached for him, letting the back of her fingers travel on his neck. Isaac closed his eyes tightly shut and went perfectly still, fear radiating from him.

“Lana,” a voice she recognized hummed along a bond and her head whipped around to find her blood bonded packmate looking up at her from under his lashes. His blue eyes glowed a pleading hue and slowly she stepped closer. “Please, you have to leave. Derek’s right, this isn’t safe.” She huffed at him, pressed her body closer and took in his scent, drawing on his pain and he groaned, but then stiffened. “No, stop! Please, that’s… you have to stop.”

Lana backed away, confused. She was helping her beta, that was her right as an alpha, as  _ his _ alpha and she growled lowly at him to stop protesting but he bared his teeth as she inched closer.

“The poison,” Nick sighed, “the poison hurts, can’t you smell it?” His voice was broken, something just this side of cracked when he spoke and she moved again, this time she breathed in closer to the slice on his arm. Yes. It smelled… off, bad, and she shook her head. “You can’t draw it out without drawing on my wolf. It’s painful.”

She sniffed at him again, drew back, and though she wasn’t completely human at that moment, the look of contemplation cross her face, going over the four men, but it wasn’t until she saw the one not standing that her eyes flashed a dangerous red.

Lana moved, crouched down in front of Scott and reached out, tucking her fingers under his chin as she leaned in, drawing in a breath. She knew him, _pack, home, safe…_ _mate_ and she let out a growl, this time deeper, filled with want and fury. She crept closer, let her hand skim over his face, as she closed her eyes and placed her cheek against his hair, taking in everything about him.

She was confused, why wasn’t he awake, why couldn’t she feel anything from him, and for a moment, everything went silent as she listened. There wasn’t a beat, wasn’t the familiar three ticks then a skip. There wasn’t… anything.

Lana sat back on her heels, blinking at him in confusion, unsure why she still felt the connection but no heartbeat, and then she tipped her head back, eyes to the sky and let out a mournful howl.

“Hello, sister,” was the only answer she received.

“Lana! Run!” The beta against the truck screamed for her, but the sound of the hiss from behind was the only thing she responded to, turning slowly to see the man who addressed her.

She stood, her alpha spirit taking control and slowly she recognized what she was looking at. The symbiote, the kanima. She let out a roar, one that shook the birds from the trees, and Derek’s eyes widened as she grew, becoming the stuff of myths and legends.

She could rival Peter’s alpha in size, the length of her legs and arms, the expanse of her chest, but the shape of her claws also grew. She was the definition of a werewolf, and she was angry, terrifying.

The sound that left her lungs, the vicious cry that echoed through the night shook the betas to their core, eliciting the change, calling out their other sides. Derek threw his head back, pain radiating through his body as he held in a howl of his own. She was doing it on purpose, causing the shift to heal them but he had to control it, he couldn’t let it get that far along. His eyes moved towards Theo’s, sensing the chimera’s pain, and just as suddenly as it started, it stopped.

Jonathan laughed, clapping his hands, half-human, half whatever the hell his was, but his bright orange eyes stayed locked on the new form Lana had taken.

“Look at you, little sister, all grown up,” he taunted but she did nothing but move, sensing the wolves around her, the way their heartbeats picked up, freeing them from their poison. “I guess you figured it out, didn’t you, the way to save them. A shift can only do so much though,” his eyes going to the alpha who hadn’t moved, and Lana’s next rumble was a warning. “You did this to yourself, you know, all the abuse, the  _ punishments _ , you had them coming,” he snarled, “mommy’s little princess, daddy’s little girl.” His body moved, slowly growing larger as he ripped at the shirt he wore.

“You were everything they hoped for. They had such big dreams for you, you know. You were supposed to be high alpha, did you know that?” he snickered. “You and your sniveling, little whine when you didn’t get your way, the puppy dog eyes that just got everyone to coo around you.” His shoulders expanded, but while there were scales on his skin, there was also fur, and she watched the spikes that broke out down the length of his back, the way his tail bulged at the end and she knew what the poison was. He was part scorpion. “What. About.” She watched his head dip, the bright orange of his glowed bright in the dark, as he bared his teeth, rows and rows of teeth. “ _ ME!” _

Lana attacked, a long, clawed arm coming down across the soft, exposed gut of her brother. And then all hell broke loose. Derek couldn’t keep up, didn’t understand what he was watching as the kanima symbiote struck out not only with his claws but also his tail, hitting the wolf before him multiple times. It was a wonder she was standing as blood splattered across him, and Derek could smell the poison as he fought against the restraints that still held him in his spot.

A long pole had been driven into the ground, and his body was anchored to it. That was the only way he had been able to stand up straight while under the paralytic, but now he was stuck, unable to reach it as he forced his eyes to stay locked on the battle. He could hear Theo screaming at her, pleading with her to run but she wasn’t Lana anymore, she was her wolf, and that alpha spirit wasn’t backing down.

He heard the moment Jonathan’s claws caused the most damage. She sucked in a quick breath, her whole body went still, and she looked down between them, one arm raised above her head, at the two sets of claws buried deep in her gut. Lana tilted her head, eyes flashing back to a memory not that long ago, and she roared out at him again, wide and threatening before her arm swooped down and wrapped around his wrists, yanking him away.

Derek paused, suddenly holding a hand up so that the others didn’t make a move and he knew the second she let go. A power blasted from her, the same one he had seen at the motel, a wave that shook the trees and sent Jonathan flying back against Nick’s truck, nearly tipping it on its side. Lana stalked over, grabbed the kanima by the throat and lifted him off the ground. The lizard’s claws slashed but she didn’t flinch as she brought her own up and then down across his chest, drawing a choked gurgle from the creature in her arms.

Her whole body shook as she tossed him again, this time watching him land not more than ten feet from the still form of the other alpha. Lana came down on her hands, moving over on all fours, like the animal she was, but as she stood over the man who now resembled more of her brother than the creature, her eyes went to the body against the tree.

She could smell his scent, drew it in, let it calm her before she turned her eyes to the body below her. She bared her fangs, opened wide enough that she could swallow his head, but he didn’t move. She stumbled, as the venom began to course through her body, and Derek watched the way she breathed. She puffed out a breath, drawing in the scent of Jonathan’s blood, even as her eyes drooped and suddenly, she was shrinking.

Theo panicked when he saw her sit back on her heels, bright eyes drooping as she caught her breath, gaping wounds slowly closing on her chest. Her hand fell to land on Jonathan’s heart, claws digging into the skin, but she didn’t have the strength to rip it out. She was human, or mostly, when she looked up at beta and huffed out through her nose a few times, before inhaling as deep as she could.

Pushing to her feet, she staggered, eyes locked on Scott and made her way to him, falling to her knees without preparing for it, and she coughed, spitting blackening blood on the ground. Lana reached out, pet her fingers down his cheek, leaned in and pressed her nose against his neck one more time, taking in everything that he was before she braced a hand against the tree and got back on her feet.

With a sorrowful look in Derek’s direction, with the echoed sounds of his pleas, the repetitive  _ no, no, no _ in her ears, Lana stepped away, one last glance at Theo before she disappeared into the woods.

Derek screamed, a broken mess of human and wolf before he went to work trying to bend the bar. Theo looked around, trying to figure out a way to break the bonds that held him, and he let the anger take over. Nick was silent, concentrating on using his claws to rip away at the thick rope but it all came to a stop with one sound.

It was strong, hard, painful, and all three sets of eyes went right to the alpha on the ground, the one they all believed was dead. Scott took a sudden breath in, as if he were just now breaching the surface of the water, and his eyes went wide, bright red with the power of the wolf. He scooted up against the tree, claws digging into the bark and opened his jaw wide, letting the fangs grow as he released a howl that broke the silence of the night, just as Stiles’ Jeep came to a screeching halt.

*****

Lana blinked away the heaviness in her eyes, clearing out the blurred vision as she paused to lean up against the rough bark of a tree. Her senses focused on the sound of rushing water, the light smell of a familiar scent. Derek. This was where she and Derek had stopped before the call of the omega had pushed them into returning home. Her sense of touch, the way the dirt felt beneath her toes reminded her of the soft riverbank they had stopped at for a moment to catch their breath, and sense memory gave her the location of a safe place to hide.

She pushed away from the tree, her hand coming up from the three black lines that marred the skin along her stomach, and she held back a cough, spitting the putrid blood from her lips. If she didn’t find a place soon to rest, she didn’t know how long she had before poison took over. Getting her heart rate down would definitely slow it, but first she had to get there.

Moving across the landscape, ducking around bushes and trees, she stopped along the water’s edge, and surveyed her surroundings. His scent was still strong, still guiding her way, and as she moved, she started to remember the small details. She wondered how many times the former alpha had made his way down this path, how often he patrolled the woods, because the closer she got to the small cave, the stronger his scent became.

The river had slowed to a creek, something easy enough to pass over as she spotted the opening of a small den. Ducking down, she found her way through the darkness to the wall at the back. He had definitely been there, she could feel him in the rocks, the ground, and she let the familiar scent be a comfort.

The strangest part of the space was the fact that there wasn’t just dirt under her hands as she felt around, there was cloth. Letting her wolf out, she concentrated on the predatory nature of her other self, the way her animal saw, and while she should have been surprised, she found herself smiling at the fact that this wasn’t just a den, it was a campsite.

Beside the wall across from her was a small fire pit, where sticks and tinder lay in a pile, and she was right about the fabric under her fingers, a small mat was laid out on the floor, giving the cave a little bit of warmth. In a roll hanging high above the damp ground was a sleeping bag and a backpack, probably filled with an extra set of clothes, and while Lana just wanted to pass out, those didn’t seem like a bad idea.

She unraveled the bag, setting it down beneath her and drew a shirt from the pack, slipping it over her head only to draw it up to her nose and inhale the scent of the omega… no, her wolf reminded her, he wasn’t an omega, not anymore, not to her. He was a beta, not packless. She smirked at this, curled herself onto the bag and sighed, letting him calm her, and just before the darkness took over, she could almost hear his voice.

_ Little alpha. _

*****

“Where is  _ she _ ?” Scott growled, looking down at the way the ropes restrained his hands, almost as tightly as they wrapped around the kanima in the back of Nick’s truck. Derek crossed his arms, studied the alpha before him and sighed. “Derek, let me go! I need to find her.”

“I’m not so sure that’s a good idea,” the omega narrowed his eyes at him, like he was scanning for injuries. “You’re not exactly… right.”

“Please,” even though it was deep, and angry, there was pain under it. “Derek, she’s out there alone, and hurt.”

“And you’re here and hurt, Scott.” Derek shook his head, “not exactly the best combination, besides, we’re not even sure how you’re alive.”

Scott dipped his head, growling low with each breath before he looked up at him from under his hair, red eyes blazing, as he built up his power. Derek rolled his eyes, crouched down to get a good look at the alpha and raised a brow.

“Not impressing me, and not making your case any better,” the omega kept his voice calm, but Scott was still amping himself up, that was until he heard Stiles, saw the man’s hand on Derek’s shoulder and Scott couldn’t help but look up at him.

“Hey, buddy,” Stiles glanced over him with concern as Scott slowed his breathing when the man reached out and placed his hand over Scott’s fidgeting ones. “We need to make sure you’re okay before we let you go out there tearing the woods apart to find her. She wasn’t…” He paused, glanced up at Theo who was still looking out, keeping watch for her. “She wasn’t herself when she left.”

“It doesn’t matter!” Scott muttered low, and Stiles was suddenly back in tenth grade trying to calm his suddenly  _ in love _ best friend who was told he couldn’t do something with Allison.

“It does matter, she was a  _ werewolf _ !” Stiles snapped. “An honest to God recreation of Psycho Peter who  _ bit _ you, I might add, while trying to get you to kill someone, so just take a minute and let that sink in.”

Derek smirked, turning his head away so that the alpha wouldn’t see it, but that brought his vision to Nick, who was holding Isaac in his arms. Slowly, he stood, patting Scott on the shoulder as he made his way over to his beta and the hunter who held him. Derek squatted down, reached out and moved the hair from Isaac’s forehead and drew in a deep breath. There wasn’t any more poison, not that he could smell, but something in the way Isaac held himself that gave Derek the feeling that something wasn’t right.

“Isaac,” and the kid literally jumped a foot in the omega’s arms. Nick just wrapped his arms tighter. “It was her, wasn’t it?” While there wasn’t any verbal confirmation, the fact that he pulled his arms closer to his chest told Derek everything. “Did she hurt you?” This time he shook his head. “Okay, so…”

“Her eyes, Derek,” Isaac whispered, “I’ve seen those eyes before.”

“Alright,” he never knew how to handle Isaac’s panic attacks, but he knew the wolf hadn’t harmed him, so he just needed to figure out, “where?”

“The basement,” Isaac’s eyes moved, scanning the area, like he would get in trouble for letting out a secret. “The box in the basement.”

“Okay,” Derek pet over his head, held him still with it, and put his finger right under his chin to keep his focus. “Look at me,” but Isaac started to fight the hold, “Isaac,” his voice was low, commanding and the boy stared right at him. “That’s in the past, you’re not the boy in the box anymore. And Lana,” Isaac’s eyes searched for her again, “hey, Lana isn’t going to hurt you. She protected you.”

“Her eyes!” But his breathing was evening out, and while Derek listened, he could hear that his heartbeat was slowing as well. “There was something in her eyes.”

“She was angry,” Derek let his chin go and sat back, “not at you, at Jonathan for hurting you.” This got Isaac to blink and the omega smiled. “You thought she didn’t like you, didn't you?”

“I never,” Isaac shook his head, but let his eyes settle on Derek, “I didn’t know.”

“That she thought of you as part of her pack?” Derek understood everything now. “You thought she was going to kill you?”

“Well, yeah, you saw her, right?” Isaac pushed up, licked his lips and looked from Nick to Derek. “She just,” he didn’t know what he was thinking now, “she touched my neck, I thought she was going to rip out my throat.”

Nick chuckled this time. “No, she was checking on you.”

“Women are confusing,” Isaac turned his face to Nick’s chest and buried his face in his shirt.

Derek wanted to say something, to let in on the psychic wolf about hurting his beta, but all he could do was sigh. He could almost feel Isaac relaxing and while it annoyed him that the boy had picked this particular wolf, he couldn’t deny the fact that it felt right. He gave Isaac a pat on the knee and rose, turning towards Scott, who was now watching him with a narrowed gaze.

He was sitting still, hands knit together with a look of concern on his face for Isaac, but when Derek came over, Scott sat up, locking eyes with him. “You done?”

“Yeah,” Scott shrugged, “I think she’s asleep actually.”

“What?” Liam asked, having been quietly sitting by Theo as the beta paced. “You can feel her?”

“Um,” Scott took a moment, internally searching through the bond and gave a little nod as he licked his lips. “Yeah, I think I can.”

“So, your panic from before?” Theo leaned against a tree, relaxed for the first time in a while, glancing over at Stiles, who was standing guard now over the asshole in the back of the truck.

“It was hers,” Scott held out his hands to Derek, “I’m sure of it.”

“Are you still going to run after her if I take these off?” The omega questioned and Scott slowly stood, straightening them further.

“Not gonna know unless you do it,” the smirk on the alpha’s face was one of pure mischief but Derek rolled his head and reached for them, quickly loosening the knot. Scott shook the ropes off and turned towards the woods, following her fading scent, but he didn’t make a move to leave, he just set his sights on the man who stood next to him. “We need someplace that will hold Jonathan.”

“We need to kill him,” Nick spoke up. Scott sighed, shaking his head. “Oh, you really are that alpha, aren’t you?”

“Did any of you see what he became?” He scowled, eyes locked on the omega, “we had to remove his claws from her in order for her to heal, what if she’s worse this time? What if we need him for some sort of antidote?”

“So, what do we do with him?” Stiles spoke up, poking at the man with a stick. “I mean, I’m all for feeding him to the polar bears in the closest zoo, but until then, we just keep him tied up?”

“We could tranquilize him,” Liam suggested, which got all eyes on him, “or not.”

“Look, I think I have an idea,” Derek sighed, but he looked right at Stiles when he frowned, “but I don’t think you’re going to like it.”

“Why are you looking at me?” Stiles gave him that  _ oh, my God, what now _ face that he always kept just for Derek and watched as the omega smirked. “I feel like I’m going to hate you after this.”

“You already hate me,” Derek teased.

“I feel like the hate I have now is unwarranted, and that after this I’ll really, really hate you.” The deputy shook his head, watching the way Derek didn’t move, and the smirk didn’t fall from his face, “I feel like I should start hating you now.”

“Guys,” Scott sighed, catching their attention as he drew his hand away from his stomach, at the red stain of blood on his palms. His brown eyes were up and focused on the two of them, then passed them to Theo and Liam. “This isn’t mine.”

“We have to find her,” Theo finally stepped up, losing his patience, as Liam went around him to look at the slice across Scott’s stomach. “She’s getting worse.”

“Theo’s right,” Nick chimed in from where he sat by the truck, “there’s something wrong, I can feel it along the bond.”

“Okay,” Derek sighed, “You two,” eyes on Theo and Liam, “go north,” He glanced back at Isaac and Nick, “You two, come with me.” He turned to Stiles. “Can you put out an APB? Something?”

“On a naked woman running through the woods with bright glowing eyes, claws, and fangs who may or may not be stuck in actual werewolf form?” Stiles questioned, sarcasm clear in his tone, “Sure.”

“You know what I meant,” Derek shook his head as he looked away, rolling his eyes so the man couldn’t see it, before he settled on Scott. “Go west, follow her scent, I have a feeling she’s still on pack land, it’s just a matter of finding out where.”

“West?” Scott shifted his gaze from Theo back to Derek before he nodded, turned and went to step into the woods.

“Scott,” Stiles grabbed his attention, and the alpha saw the uncertainty in his eyes, “be careful, we don’t know what kind of state she’s in, and I don’t think she’s going to take it well seeing you back from the dead.”

“I’ll be fine,” he gave a soft nod to his best friend, who clenched his fists and waited until Scott disappeared into the woods.

Liam grabbed Theo’s arm, turned towards the front of the truck and glanced one last time at the other men before they stepped into the forest, disappearing into the underbrush. Nick and Isaac rose, stepping closer to Derek, whose eyes were set on where Scott had gone.

“You really think she might kill him?” Isaac questioned Stiles.

“Depends on which Lana he runs into first,” Stiles grabbed the shotgun from his Jeep and handed it to the beta. “You’re gonna need this.”

“What?” he turned to Stiles who was making his way back to the Jeep, “why?”

“Shotgun isn't in the passenger’s seat on this ride.” Derek smiled, patting him on the shoulder as he headed for the truck. Nick raised a brow, rolled his eyes like the banter was annoying and headed towards the driver’s side. Isaac watched as Derek jumped up into the bed and looked at him pointedly, until the beta sighed and joined him.

Stiles left first, followed closely by Nick, but at the split in the road, Nick headed left towards downtown, and the Jeep made its way towards the station.

*****

Scott paused beside the river, his hand going out to the bark as he lifted his nose upwards, closed his eyes and concentrated. He could smell her scent, feel her chemo signals, and all at once he let his emotions tear through him as his knees went weak and he crouched to the ground, steadying himself.

His eyes caught the way the moonlight hit everything around him, the sound of the water rushing by, the feel of the nocturnal animals coming to life, and then he really heard it. The soft, strong, steady thump of a heart.

“Lana,” he whispered, closing his eyes tightly as he concentrated on it. She was definitely asleep, but where?

He slowly stood, letting his body follow the feeling, the pull in her direction and his feet did the rest. The scent of her blood was everywhere, light, but there, like a marking on a tree, or drops on the ground, it made everything more real, and he was close. So close.

He stopped at the edge of a creek, did the same thing again, drew in the air around him, and caught just the hint of Derek, before his eyes were drawn to the darkened entrance of a small cave. He swallowed hard, calmed his heart as it raced at the thought of her being in there alone, and he closed the distance.

Eyes bright red and powerful, he slipped into the mouth, down on his hands and knees, and took it all in. Her scent filled the air, as if she had rubbed herself against every wall, but still, there was Derek, and he could vaguely recall a conversation on where the wolf explained why he disappeared and where too.

_ “There’s a den on the west side of the property. I used to hide there when I was a kid, to get away from my family.” _ Derek had opened up to him one day when Scott told him how much pressure he felt being the alpha, how much he wanted just to run.  _ “It's not an escape, it’s a sacred place to collect myself, get my head on straight, and come back a better person.” _

This was it, this was Derek’s den, and when Scott was in far enough, he found that it was also safe enough for a symbiote to find refuge because there she was, curled up in a ball, sleeping against the back wall. He shook even as the wide grin formed on his face, but his approach slowed the closer he got. He could still smell the blood, and the chill in the air.

Instead of touching her, something he  _ really _ wanted to do, Scott focused on the fire pit to his left. He started with the tinder, piling just enough on the ground to get it going before he tee-peed the branches around it. Shuffling through the backpack that hung from the ceiling, he was able to find a box of matches, and before his eyes could really adjust from the darkness to the light orange glow, the fire was lit, and warmth had already begun to radiate from it.

He heard her let out a shaky breath, the shiver of her body told him that she was on the edge of waking and he wanted more than anything to be the first thing she saw. Cautiously, thinking about the way the others had warned him of her state when she bound away, he laid down beside her, on his side, facing her but not blocking her escape route, and he watched as her eyes fluttered open.

Tired blue eyes searched his face, filling with tears as she looked him over, still not reaching out, not until that first tear ran down her cheek and she slowly pushed to her elbow. Scott didn’t hold back the smile as she traced her fingers along his cheek, down his jaw and let her thumb caress his lip before she leaned in and kissed him softly.

“I’m dead, aren’t I?” She whispered against him, but Scott gave a slight shake of his head, just enough to brush his lips against hers. “How are you here? You didn’t have a heartbeat.”

“I did,” he nodded, drawing in her scent. “I took most of his hits, trying to give them time to get away. It slowed it down.” His hand came out, bracing on her waist as he slipped back and looked her deep in the eyes, “I wouldn’t ever leave you behind.”

The dam broke at that very moment and she surged forward, hands on his cheeks, pressing him back to the floor as her kiss deepened and Scott took everything she offered just to feel her against him. Opening his eyes, he knew the moment she was pulling back, holding herself up over him and he gently moved his hand through her hair, letting the firelight glow on her skin.

“You’re hurt,” he spoke softly, brows furrowed as he scanned her face, but she only gave a shaky nod, “where?”

She sat up, resting her weight on her knees as Scott set his hands on her thighs and followed the shirt as she pulled it up to expose the three healing gashes in her stomach. He let his fingers glide alongside them, smelling the fading scent of the poison over hers even with how close she was.

“Are they getting better?” which was a valid question.

“I stopped coughing up blood, so probably,” she tugged the shirt down, trapping his hand on her skin and closed her eyes. “I can’t shift, not the way I need to.”

“Do you want me to help?” and there was that mischievous smirk on his lips.

“No,” she moved closer to him, holding his hand against her as she leaned forward, “no, I want you to kiss me.”

Scott chuckled, eyes going from hers to her lips and back as he nodded, “that,” he let his tongue flick out to taste their last kiss, “that I can do.”

****

Stiles walked quickly in through the kitchen of the Beacon Hills Bar and Grill, gun in hand, but he knew what he was going to find when he turned the corner and headed into the basement. He  _ hated  _ the basement, all basements, but now he hated this one more. How could Derek taint his favorite breakfast place? Fucking wolf!

When he reached the bottom, he turned and ducked into the dry storage room before he hit the back and stopped dead, looking at the three wolves that stood there, playing sentry at the locked and barred freezer door.

“So, this is your big plan? Break into a restaurant and put him in a freezer?” Stiles barked, moving past Derek to look in the small window at the man who was still chained and now laying on the floor. He turned to the omega, furious. “You realize we were in one before? Right? When he took it from the clinic? Where the hell did you think we spent all those hours, Hale? A beach resort in Mexico?”

“Calm down,” and while his voice said he was, the posture of the wolf was anything but. Derek was on edge too, but he seemed to have this habit of masking it just for the deputy’s sake. He reached out, annoyed with Stiles constant shifting and grabbed him by the shoulders. “Hey,” this got those amber eyes locked on him, “I said calm down.”

“This is a bad idea, Derek, very bad,” Stiles grumbled but did exactly what the omega ordered. He took a few deep breaths in, slowly letting them out, and raised a hand to brush Derek’s off, but instead of the harsh removal, Stiles let his fingers wrap around Derek’s wrist. “Tell me they’re okay.”

The omega let a small smirk rise on his lips as his thumbs rubbed circles on Stiles’ collarbones. “They’re okay.”

“You’re just saying that because I asked you to,” Stiles barked, moving to step away, but Derek held him still, brow raised and the human was smart, he knew how to read people, and he definitely knew all about how to read Derek Hale. “Wait, you’re not, are you? They really are okay?”

“Yes, Stiles,” Derek relaxed his grip but didn’t take his hands off him, “they really are.”

“How do you know?” And suddenly the phone in his pocket vibrated. Stiles looked down, which also got Derek to follow his line of sight before the man had any clue. When it hit him, Stiles quickly reached into his pocket and drew out the device, still vibrating in his hand. He swallowed as the multiple text messages came through.

“Who is it?” Isaac questioned, and Stiles turned the phone towards him.

“All of them.”


	11. Episode Eleven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *warning* for mature audiences only.

Episode 1x11

Liam stopped, rolled his eyes as Theo used his claws to cut through another thick vine and waited for his anchor to get a clue. It didn’t take him nearly as long as he thought. Standing suddenly still, Theo took a breath and slowly turned to look at the man behind him, the one with the look of thorough irritation on his face.

“What now?” The chimera questioned with an even voice.

“Are we going to talk about it?” and this time it was Theo that rolled his eyes.

“No!” he replied pointedly.

“I think we need to talk about it,” Liam stated a little more firmly but to everyone else it would have sounded as if he were playing.

“I don’t want to talk about it with you, or Derek, or Scott, okay? I just want to forget it happened and move on. So, if you don’t mind, just let me, you know, move on,” Theo sighed, turning back to the chore at hand, which was getting the hell out of these woods, but he gave one last pause and slumped his shoulders, “please.”

“She turned into an actual  _ werewolf _ !” Liam sighed, “how do you move on from that?’

“I don’t know!” He growled, bright gold eyes locking on the other man as he moved, pivoting to stalk forward this time. “You weren’t there, you didn’t see it! You didn’t have to watch the two of them, Liam! As my best friend, my brother… please,  _ drop it _ !”

“Okay,” Liam breathed through clenched teeth, holding back the defensiveness his nature caused when even Theo approached him like that. “For now.”

“Thank you,” he closed his eyes, twisted around in his spot and was just about to swing at the thick cover when he felt a pain run jaggedly across his stomach. Theo took in a ragged breath, arm bracing across his stomach, and he doubled over, eyes fighting to stay open.

“Theo!” Liam was instantly by his side, holding him up.

“You know,” he huffed out, “I’m getting just a little tired of being in pain.”

“Let me see.” Helping him ease down against a white birch, Liam grabbed the end of his shirt and lifted it up just past his abs, only to go from the bloody lines on Theo’s skin to the man’s blue eyes. “It’s not you.”

Theo smirked, of course, it wasn’t him. There wasn’t any pain when Liam traced a finger across where the wounds should be, and he gave a small shake of his head.

“No, it’s her,” the beta whispered, tugging Liam’s hand away and yanking his shirt down. “He hasn’t found her yet.”

“Theo, I…” Liam paused, about to say something monumentally stupid that would have set off his anchor, but he drew in a breath and scoffed, “I’m sure he’s close.”

“You think this is a  _ hey, I almost found my mate _ kinda thing?” Theo shifted, getting to his feet as he held a hand down to Liam, bringing him up with. “No,” he snarked, “this far from it.”

“Okay, but it doesn’t matter because we have no idea where the hell she went, or where Scott is.” The man scowled, crossing his arms as his eyes darted to their surroundings. “I say we just find Derek and Stiles and stick together.”

“Sure, because we all want to be near her psychic beta, let him read our minds.” Theo rolled his eyes and moved on with the ripping and shredding of the vines, something to take his irritation out on.

“You’re so full of shit, you know that, right?” Liam still stood at his back, watching for any danger, even as he stuffed his hands in the pocket of his jeans, holding off reaching for the man in front of him. He had tried not to let the scene they pulled up to affect him, tried to scrub the memory, all the blood that had dripped from Theo’s face, and while it wasn’t working to curve his need to rip Jonathan apart, it was keeping him from physically touching him, from sating the tactile need. Theo stopped again and waited for him to go on. “You puffed up when he first arrived, went all protective but you felt their link, what kind of person he really was, and you gave him the benefit of the doubt.”

“Yeah,” Theo bit out, turning on him again, “how would you know?”

“Dude, you brought him a blanket,  _ your _ blanket,” Liam grinned, “and a pillow. The last time you did that, you nearly suffocated me because I was snoring too loud, not because I needed comfort.”

“So, I gave him something to wrap up in,” Theo shrugged, putting his back to him, not wanting Liam to see. “Big deal.”

“It is when you’re offering him protection.”

“I wasn’t…”

“Dude, I know you like the back of my hand,” Liam didn’t hold off this time, he reached out and grabbed Theo’s arm and spun him. “You offered him something literally soaked in your scent, something purposely saturated in it that he could  _ wrap _ around himself and why? Because you needed him to smell like you! You need everyone there to know that if they went at him, they’d have to go through you! Now, if you can’t tell me what the hell happened with Lana, you can at least tell me why Nick!”

“He saved my life!” Theo yelled, but with all the power in him, that response was totally human, there was no wolf involved. The man took a breath and stepped back as he flexed his fists. Liam didn’t seem surprised, but he didn’t move to draw it out either. Theo caught his rapid breathing, trying to still himself. “He saved me.”

“Okay, good,” and Liam left it at that, walking around him to continue on a clearer path.

“That’s it?” was what came from the shocked beta, who followed quietly behind, “you don’t want the why or when? Just okay?”

“You’ll talk when you want,” the wolf replied, moving on. Theo rolled his eyes; he hated this tactic. It worked every time!

“Wait,” he stopped dead and closed his eyes. He was really going to do this, and he really hated Liam. Opening his eyes, he nearly missed the smug look on the other man’s face,  _ nearly _ . “You can’t tell anyone.”

“Do I look like the kind of person to share your secrets? Have I ever shared  _ your _ secrets?” Liam watched the way Theo’s face fell, like this one was bigger than the rest. “Okay, let’s do it this way. Where and when, and you don’t have to say another word.”

“Utah,” Theo’s voice shook as he let it slip out, “ten years ago.”

“Ten?” Liam’s brain went a mile a minute, trying to figure out why that was so important. “Just after the hunters, senior year.” His eyes went wide as he stared at his friend. “You were gone for almost six months.” He had never asked questions, only knew that Theo had stuff to work through, but this… “Theo, what happened.”

“You said where and when, Liam, I just…” He clenched his jaw and closed his eyes, giving himself a moment to get his head together. “There were other of us… of me, other experiments that were fighting the toxin, coming back, and they weren’t all there, some… most had gone mad.”

“Why didn’t you say anything, I could have helped,” Liam grabbed him by the shoulders.

“No. No,” he whispered, “I did this, I had to fix it.” His bright gold eyes opened and landed on the man before him. “I found one in Utah but didn’t know what I was up against. Didn’t know I wasn’t the only one looking for it, and it came at me, not even male or female anymore, just a monster. He was there, Turret.” Liam could see the pain in his eyes as he fought to run from the memories. “We were fighting, and I was losing, it’s as simple as that but then he was there, like he just knew where I was, and I don’t remember much after that. A couple odd memories of him telling me to hang on, maybe they were fever dreams, I don’t know, but when I saw him in the loft I knew. He was familiar, safe.”

“You thought a psychic wolf with paramilitary training locked in a cage was safe?” and that tone of voice seemed to shake Theo from the hold his memories had on him and he wanted to actually reach out and punch the kid. “You’re nuts.”

Theo narrowed his eyes on his friend, watched the corner of his mouth tick up in a teasing smile and he couldn’t help but mirror it. Everything in him eased. He knew that Liam would stand by him no matter what, even if it was to protect someone like Nick. “Thanks, man.”

“Yeah, sure,” Liam brushed it off as if it were some sort of hardship but turned and headed back the way they came. “Let’s go, I have a feeling Derek sent us this way to stall you.”

Theo looked over the forest that stretched out before him. His eyes roamed over the thick vines, and the canopy of branches over his head. He could hear the way she howled, see every movement of the way she shifted from one evolution to the next and back. There wasn’t really any sound, never a second of breaking bones or pain, she just shifted, she just… became.

He let that image root him, and for a second he debated before letting out the air that he felt was trapped in his lungs. He lowered his head, chin to chest, clenched his fists tight and whispered.

“She was,” he took a breath, “she was huge, like a monster right out of my nightmares.” Theo let it slip out while the beta was walking away. “Her eyes were so bright, but she was… gentle.” Liam stopped, listened to the escalating sound of his heartbeat, but it didn’t race, it just got stronger. “She scented each of us, like she was checking for something, and I wanted,” he paused, “I need to touch her but I…” he looked down at where the blood stained his clothes, “and then she was gone.”

“Hey,” Liam placed a hand on his shoulder, knowing it would ground him, that it would derail that trail, “come on, maybe they heard something by now.”

“Yeah,” Theo gave a slight nod, “okay.”

*****

Lana pushed up on her arm, holding herself above Scott as he grinned up at her, fingers gliding over her cheek, touching her neck softly, and he could see the light red glow in her eyes, just before she winced. The smile faded as he moved, inching up until she was sitting back on his thighs.

“You’re still in pain,” he was curious, but cautious as he took the hem of her shirt, his hand still on her stomach and glanced down at the lines. “Okay,” he paused a moment, thinking of his next move, and then locked eyes with her, “lay down.”

She narrowed her gaze at him, “you’re not very romantic, are you?” Lana giggled, but Scott blushed at the tease.

Scott gave a slightly offended expression before raising a brow. “I just want to clean them off, if you’re okay with it.” He licked his lips, the tip of his tongue caught between his teeth as she sighed and slowly shifted, lying down against the chilled material of the sleeping bag. Scott glanced around the room, eyes landing on the canteen and a small bucket. “Stay there.”

“Yes, sir, bossy,” Scott paused, took in the air around her, her scent and the hint of fire before he shook it off, added a few branches to the flames and crawled out of the cave.

He should call Stiles, or Theo. He should probably, definitely check in with Liam or Derek, but he never once reached for his phone, not while he filled the canteen with water. This was going to be cold, but it was better than letting whatever was going on with her body continue.

Once back inside, he found a small pan, filled it with the clean water from the creek and slowly set it beside the fire to at least warm it up. He was surprised Derek kept everything in there without losing it, but then again, it did smell like the wolf, not  _ his wolf _ , not anymore but when he first entered, if it hadn’t been for Lana, or knowing Derek, he would have never intruded.

She lay there with her eyes closed, a hand up near her head as the other gripped the sleeping bag, intermittent shocks of pain going through her body. He could almost feel them as she did, but he didn’t touch her, not yet. Testing the water, he slowly brought the pan to her side and gently took hold of the hem of her - okay, it was actually Derek’s - shirt and lifted it up to tuck it just under her chest.

She wasn’t completely bare, having found a pair of boxers in the bag as well, but even that did something to him. Not the fact that she was wearing someone else’s clothes but that he could almost picture her wearing his. Why men had a thing for that was something he would never figure out, but since he was one of those guys, he guessed it was a possessive thing. 

Grabbing what looked like an old shirt, one ripped but not dirty, Scott dipped a small part into the water and slowly began to wipe the dried blood from her skin. Lana took a deep breath in at the touch, opened her red eyes slightly and rolled back her lips in a show of teeth the closer he got.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, fingers not stopping, trying to be as gentle as he could, but his eyes were locked on hers, “this has to be done, they can’t stay like this.”

She let out a shaky breath, swallowed hard, and let her head fall back, hand going to his thigh. The closer he got to the slices, the more she whined, but she didn’t move, nor did she stop him, until the water ran dark and her skin was free of blood. Scott had watched her face the whole time, seeing the different range of emotions that flowed from her, and slowly he stood - as best he could - emptied the pan and started all over again, this time gently washing the blood from her fingers.

Her eyes were lightly closed, taking in his touch, letting their mingled scents calm her, filling the cave when slowly Scott lifted her fingers to his hair. He leaned down over her stomach, feeling the heat of her body and ran his lips against the pale skin, feeling her take a sharp breath when they met. She let out a small whimper, fingers tightening in his curls as he released her and let his fingers roam over her exposed flesh.

The rumble he let out, deep in his chest, was intimate, reserved only for her as she shifted her legs, trying to get him closer, and Scott did exactly what she wanted. He moved to kneel between her thighs as his hands spread around her waist, his kisses moved over marred flesh, gentle against the tender skin, but as he roamed up, wanting nothing more than to find her lips, he pushed the shirt up with it.

Lana sat up just a bit, letting him pull the fabric from her skin, just as she grabbed the hem of his and yanked it over his head. There wasn’t a playful smile this time, no smirk of innocent teasing, just the lust-blown, dilated eyes of an alpha who wanted the woman below him. Scott licked his lips, searching for that little bit of confirmation, that he wasn’t the only one feeling what was between them, and Lana gave a few small nods before she moved up to seal the kiss.

It was erratic at first, both warring for control but when his hand slipped behind her shoulders, the edges of his claws gently raking down her back, she gave over. Her alpha side wasn’t going to let him just have her, but she wasn’t going to fight him either. They both needed this more than anything.

Those boxers, they would definitely need to be replaced with the way Scott tugged them off quickly, and their kiss didn’t break when Lana went for the button of his jeans. He placed his forehead against hers as they both fought to get the material from his skin, to finally feel each other, and as he pressed heavily against her, Lana closed her eyes and drew in deep. Scott was intoxicating like this, primal and open. His scent made her want him more than anyone she had ever been with and she wasn’t waiting this time.

“Scott,” his name was a plea on her lips as his fingers tickled softly between her thighs, tips teasing as they pressed in but didn’t breach and she placed her cheek against his, hand reaching between them to grasp around his cock, gliding up slowly before flicking at the tip. He huffed, moaned and pressed back, turning just a bit so his lips brushed her skin.

“We don’t have to do this here,” he was always giving her an out, trying to stay human, trying, and failing to not just let his wolf take over. “If you say…”

“No,” she shook against him, reached down to grasp his wrist as she guided his fingers deep inside, gasping out as he moaned, “no, don’t stop.”

His mouth found hers, kissing deep taking in her taste as the rhythm of his fingers matched the strokes of hers, building on the frenzy that their natures created. Lana broke away, eyes wide, head thrown back as she tightened around his thick digits before he let his lips travel down her neck, teeth grazing her skin.

“Oh, God,” she sighed, whining as he shifted, leaving her empty before he quickly moved, tongue lashing out at her entrance, sucking on her clit and Lana held in a scream, but he didn’t stay long, didn’t linger on her taste, though he could ravish her this way for hours, there was a purpose in his teasing.

Scott came back as quickly as he left, hand tangled in her hair as he held her in place, tongue licking out at her lips and Lana melted against him, even more so when he pressed the head of his cock between her folds, giving a little push as her legs wrapped around him. He slowly backed away, just enough to see her eyes.

“Are you sure?” This was it, the last time he was going to ask, unless she said to stop, there was no way he could hold back, but he didn’t need to wait for his answer because she was the one who moved, taking him in with an upward tip of her hips. “Oh, my…”

“I’m sure,” was her breathless reply.

Scott clenched his teeth, held back from moving until she was where she wanted to be, fingers digging into his shoulders as she paused, lips parted, panting against the stretch of him, and then she shifted. A slow draw out before she glided him back in and that was the end of his resolve. He captured her mouth once more, tongue and teeth, hard and soft, as he moved with her, feeling her clench around him.

She let him go, fought to breath as the tempo between them rose and fell, but Scott was blind to anything but her, the way she felt, the scent of her body, and he kissed along her cheek, teeth moving across her neck. His eyes grew red with the wolf, fangs fell, not as sharp as they should have been but enough to break skin and Lana moaned.

He felt everything waver, instantly his teeth were like knives, and he pulled back. “Wait, we can’t... I can’t...,” Scott growled, clenching his jaw when she placed her hands on his cheeks and she suddenly brought him up to look at her, heels digging into his thighs and she shook her head.

“No,” she panted out, “no stopping this time, remember?” Scott pushed in deep, hearing her cry out as he pressed long and hard, circling his hips as he felt her flesh tight against him. “I want you to do it.”

“There’s no going back,” he whispered, a quick thrust in as he let his tongue run along his teeth.

“I don’t want to go back,” she confessed, “I want you. Always.”

Scott nodded, let his lids fall, as he moved back to her neck, kissing along the cord as she tilted her head. “You first.” Lana moaned at the prospect of it. “I’m just as much yours.”

Lana growled, low, deep, lustful and she used her strength to flip them, Scott’s breath rushing from him as he hit the hard dirt floor, but it was all forgotten the moment she ground down on him. He tilted his head back, more from the feeling than an actual submissive move, but the moment he felt her lips against his collarbone, he fought to restrain his wolf. His hands gripped her hips, the tips of his claws digging in as she still moved.

The wet glide of her body, the feel of her lips and teeth, hands roaming over him, was the epitome of her taking him apart, layer by layer, stripping him down to his primal parts, and Scott closed his eyes, just to let it wash over him. He’d had lovers, girlfriends, small things that burned hot and fast for a week, but nothing ever came close to this.

The sounds of her getting lost in it, giving in with moans, sighs, and those low, deep noises that filled her throat were the only things his ears heard, even her heart was background to what she was doing, but his eyes sprung wide when her clawed fingers scratched over his heart, and red met red as the sweat dripped from her face.

The rhythm broke as the hot, tight feeling in his stomach rose, body giving into the need for release and he pushed himself up on his elbows to meet her kiss before her fingers dug into his chest. He growled against her mouth, felt the way her fangs extended, and he nodded.

“Do it, please,” he panted, letting his head fall back again. “Lana,  _ please _ .”

She leaned down over his heart, the beat strong against her lips and just as his body seized, then began pulsing inside her as she continued to move, not far behind herself. She opened her jaw, bared her fangs and stuck, driving them deep into his skin just as he started to come.

Scott howled, the sound piercing the night.

*****

Liam dropped to his knees, letting out a painful noise, not quite a whimper, definitely not a howl, and Theo was instantly by his side. The beta’s hand was pressed tight against his heart, head dipped low as Theo reached out, cupped his jaw in his hands and helped him sit up, but it was the red coloring around the beta’s gold eyes that had the chimera staring in shock.

“I think he found her,” Liam groaned, sitting back on his heels, as the red haze and pain began to fade.

“What the hell was that?” He grabbed Liam under the arms, brought him to his feet, and wrapped a hand around his wrist. “We really need to get to Derek.”

*****

Nick turned away from the rest of them, having moved away from the freezer room and out to the main part of the basement, but the fact that he nearly crumbled, even as he braced himself against the wall had the other omega’s attention.

Derek stepped up, hand resting on Nick’s shoulder but what he saw when Turret turned wasn’t what he expected. “Jesus,” was the only thing he could respond with as the purple hue around the edge of Nick’s blue eyes shined bright. “The bond.” But that was when Derek huffed, holding in a cry of agony and stumbled to put his back against the wall. Stiles moved forward only to stop when Derek stretched out his arm to hold him off. “It’s okay.”

“Oh, yeah, sure,” Stiles snapped, “because it doesn’t look like the two of you are about to die or anything. Wanna tell me what the hell is going on?”

“Scott found Lana,” Nick smirked, and it was just this side of creepy that Stiles shook with memories of Peter offering  _ the bite _ . Flashbacks weren’t good.

He thought for a moment, the implications of the two of them together and Stiles stared as the red slowly faded from both of their eyes. “Oh, no.”

*****

She let her tongue run along the bite, gliding over the shape of her teeth imprinted on his skin, as Scott’s breathing slowed. Lana sat back, feeling him still inside her and her bright red eyes, no longer crimson, stared down into his. Scott slowly moved, gliding out as he sat up, gaze never leaving as slowly the tables turned, and he was towering above her.

Scott licked his lips, reached out a hand to caress her neck, seeing her eyes slowly close at the pressure on her throat and he gave her a nudge to lay back, something she did without question. A sated symbiote was definitely a good thing, but he didn’t stay close, he traveled, lips barely brushing the now healed skin of her abdomen, over her stomach and down passed her hips, where her scent was the strongest.

No, not just hers anymore,  _ theirs. _ Scott’s body vibrated with a rumble as he took in their mixed fragrance on her skin and he hummed, like it was his new favorite thing before his lips landed on her thigh. He kissed and caressed the skin there, her hand coming to his hair as he relaxed the hold on her neck and brought it down to that one spot on her lower body.

Lana arched up against him, whimpering for release again, but when Scott looked up with only bright red eyes, she bared her fangs, squeezed her thighs against him and he didn’t hesitate. He opened up, and let his fangs plunge in as deep as he could next to the femoral artery. Lana took in a sharp breath, fingers in his hair gripping tight as she arched up against him.

****

Theo fell this time, stumbling into a tree as he wrapped his arms around it, eyes closed tightly. In the background, he could hear Liam, but his world was tilting, and he wasn’t sure he wouldn’t throw up if he looked at the man.

It was worse than that, it was like he was flying. He could see the woods, feel the pull and he was moving through them, even if he was anchored there. He saw the river on the west side of the property, the tree line, and suddenly he was outside the cave.

He opened his eyes quickly, not wanting to see what was going on inside, but knowing exactly what happened, and Liam filled his vision as soon as he could focus.

“Holy shit!” the beta exclaimed, swallowing hard. “Your eyes…”

“Yeah, yours were a little red too.”

“No, Theo, I don’t think you get it, the white of your eyes,” Liam shook his head, “it’s black.”

*****

This time Isaac fell, like he had missed a step, tried moving up the stairs but Nick had him by the arm, yanking him too him before he fell and slowly they sank to the floor. Derek crouched in front of the pair, studying the way the sclera faded over with a murky black, but he could also see the way that Isaac was staring at him.

“What the hell did they do?” Nick growled, turning to Derek, and that was when he noticed that Nick’s were just the same.

“They bonded the pack,” Derek whispered, reaching out again, this time connecting with both men, but just behind him, he heard Stiles’ panicked whisper.

“Lydia,” and he was out the door.

****

Argentina

Peter took a deep breath of the early morning light, stepping out onto his balcony with a smile on his face, and he looked over the quiet, private beach. It was warm, fragrant and just what he needed.

Until the pain struck.

He dropped the coffee mug, hearing it smash against the balcony floor, as he doubled over in pain, first clenching his stomach and then fighting the darkness as his sight faded. He could feel the power in him shine before it lifted, the faint vibration along the bond that he shared with the true alpha so many miles away and he caught his breath only to catch the fading murky black in his now purple eyes.

“Oh, Scott, what have you done?”

*****

He swiped his tongue along the already fading marks but smiled at the fact that while human eyes wouldn’t see them, his wolf’s eyes could pick up on them just under the surface. Kissing gently, he made his way up over her hip, avoiding anything that might trigger another around as he came to lay beside her, pulling her tightly against his body.

Lana drew in his scent, pressed her face against his chest, arms tucked between them and slowly let her body relax. That was until Scott stiffened. She looked up the moment he made a choking noise, and then sat straight as the blood leaked from his lips.

“Oh my, God!” Sheer terror flowed through her as he fell back against the wall, body still seized, staring straight at her as the whites of his eyes clouded over to a murky blackness. “I’m so sorry, I forgot.”

“It’s,” he choked out but drew his hands in, fingers clenched in what looked like a grip, but she waited as he shook, his gaze locked on her, but even as his body eased, as little by little his muscles relaxed, that blackness didn’t fade. “Lana.”

“Can you hear me?” she defaulted back to that alpha, the one who went deaf from her blood. Scott gave a weak smile and nodded, but that was when the real panic set it. “Scott, can you see me?”

“You’re beautiful,” he whispered softly, as if all of his energy had been zapped from his body, and he reached up to touch her, but he never made it to her skin. A tear escaped as he seemed to brush over something that she couldn’t touch, but he smiled. “So beautiful.”

“Oh, my God, you’re blind,” she took his hand, pressed it against her face and tried everything to keep the pain of causing him this damage inside, but Scott smiled, just that wide, innocent, teenage smile that made her heart skip.

“Not blind,” his gaze roamed over her as he slowly sat up, shifting so that she was between his legs and they were looking right at each other, but Scott’s eyes still traced her like there was something strange about her outline. “I can see you.”

“You can’t,” she shook her head, “you’re not even looking at me.”

“I am,” he was in awe, that was the only word she could use to describe the look on his face. Total awe. “I can see all of you.”

“You’re not making any sense.” the panic was back, “Scott, we need to call Derek.”

“No,” and the smile faded as he brought his other hand up, cupping her face, this time locking on her eyes, “I’m fine, and you don’t get it, Lana, I can see  _ you _ , all of you.”

“No, I don’t get it,” she shook her head as she tried to slip out of his grasp.

But what he said next made her go still. “I can see your wolf.”

“How?” she whispered, “that’s not possible.”

“Maybe,” Scott chuckled, “but I can.”

“What does…” she might not believe him, but she was curious, “what does she look like?”

“Armor, like she’s protecting you, and beautiful, like you,” he whispered, and she saw the moment that it started to fade, the blackness slowly rolled back, revealing only his brown eyes. “I don’t feel sick.”

“Maybe that was the affects the blood had on you. I don’t…” the cell in the pocket of Scott’s jeans vibrated repeatedly, catching their attention and Lana leaned back, snagging the jeans from the floor. Scott watched as she pulled it from his pocket, glanced at the screen, and held it out for him. “What happened to them?”

Scott looked down at the multiple messages, at least one from all of them, every pack member, and shook his head. “I don’t know, but we should go.”

*****

They topped the trail just as the Jeep came to a halt, kicking up dirt in the same spot that Derek’s Camaro had been parked not a few days before. Scott stopped, Lana protectively placed behind him, her hand still in his as Stiles and Derek exited the vehicle.

They rushed the pair, dragging them into long, hard embraces as both men took the time to look Lana over before switching to the alpha.

“Oh, what the fuck, you guys?” Stiles questioned, stepping back, on hand on his hip, the other carding through his hair.

“Mated,” Derek smirked, an eyebrow going up. “That explains everything.”

“No!” Stiles barked, “no, it doesn’t explain a damn thing. Not the red eyes, not the black…”

“Wait, black eyes?” Scott interrupted.

“Get in the car, we’ll explain on the way.” Derek shrugged, taking Lana’s hand.

“Stop,” she buried her heels into the dirt, snapping Derek to a halt but he could see her question written in the fear in her eyes, “where’s Jonathan?”

“He’s locked up,” the omega whispered, turning towards her, closing the distance as he placed his hand on her cheek. “He’s not getting out, because right now, he’s out cold.”

“Derek,” there was a stern tone to his name, “where’s my brother?”

“He’s in the freezer at the Bar and Grill,” Stiles answered, turning this time with his cell up, a video recording of the man roped and chained, excessively. “We got your aunt and uncle to shut down for the day until we find a better place to put him.”

“In the ground would be nice,” Scott growled, which got the three of them to look at him. “I’m only saying what everyone’s thinking.”

“You can’t kill him,” Derek sighed, and that got Lana’s gaze right back on him. “Not yet.”

“I should have,” she whispered, shaking her head as she placed her hand on his chest, feeling his heartbeat. “I should have killed him when he killed Scott, when he had you and the others trapped.” Derek reached out, both hands on her shoulders as he leaned in, making sure he had her complete focus.

“But you didn’t, and trust me, that’s a good thing.” He drew in her scent, let out his own,  _ calm, safe, pack _ before he watched the red fade from her eyes. “Come on, we’ll get you home.”

*****

When they reached Peter’s house, the pack was all gathered around the living room. Lana was quiet, taking in the implication of everything that Derek and Stiles had told them on the way over. She was quiet as Derek guided her through, up to the second floor bathroom, giving Theo a shake of his head when he stood and stepped forward. Her eyes went to the beta, before she lowered them and ascended the stairs.

The shower was hot, and the power of the spray relaxed the muscles in her body, but it didn’t drown out the voices just outside the door.

“Let me in, Derek,” Theo whispered, the tone of his words were definitely edgy. “I just need…”

“I know what you need, Theo, and you can wait, just like the rest of us.” The omega replied and Lana scoffed, of course he’d play bodyguard while Scott took care of the rest of the pack, but that was the moment she could feel the panic along the bond, the actual  _ need _ from Theo.

“You can let him in,” she whispered, knowing the man outside would hear and there was a long pause, a rough sigh and the door opened without hesitation. Theo stepped in, closing it tightly behind him and stopped on the other side of the curtain. He didn’t know what to do, and she could tell that by the signals coming off him. “Might be a little weird for you to strip and join me.”

“Yeah, maybe,” he huffed out, but that was when the tingle happened, like a psychic connection, and Lana could almost feel the acceptance from Scott.

“Well,” she peeked out from behind the curtain, looked him over and raised a brow. “What are you waiting for?”

Theo drew in a deep breath, grabbed the hem of his shirt at the same time he was toeing off his shoes and she smiled as she disappeared. Along the bond, she sent a question, something she wasn’t sure would get a response and found that maybe she and the alpha were more connected then she thought. He was sure.

The curtain moved aside, and Lana turned from the stream, only to see Theo standing there in black boxer-briefs. She couldn’t hold back the smile as he stepped into the stall, shrugging.

“It doesn’t feel right to take them off.” He said, shyly and blushed, but Lana got it.

“It’s just fabric, the water’s not going to hurt them,” she shrugged, turned slowly and opened her arms. Theo sighed, stepped under the stream and wrapped his around her body, one at the small of her back, one in her hair, pulling her close. She could tell the moment he closed his eyes. His whole body relaxed, he pressed his nose against her head and breathed her in. “I’m sorry if I scared you.”

“You didn’t,” he protested but she knew better, she could remember his scent laced with fear, panic, and she turned towards his chest, scenting the spot right above his heart that was now all content. “I was afraid for you. With what we saw, with what he did at the loft, I thought he was going to kill you.”

“I’m a little more durable than that,” she giggled and felt him nod.

“That will never stop me from worrying.” She felt him shift, reaching for the bottle behind her. She let her eyes close, let him move her around, and the feel of his fingers washing her hair take over. “So, you and Scott?” Lana laughed, not feeling an ounce of jealousy from him. “Liam’s going to be on you as soon as you walk out that door, so be prepared.”

“I’m surprised he’s not in here waiting by the sink,” Lana sighed, but Theo gave out a small  _ pfft _ noise.

“Why do you think I warned you, he is literally right outside the door.” Both looked up when it popped open, and the curtain moved aside just enough for the alpha’s brown eyes to go over them before he moved to sit on the toilet. Theo glanced down at the woman in front of him before he peeked around the curtain. “You okay, Scott?”

“Yeah,” he answered the beta, sighing as he relaxed, taking in the scent of the shower and them, “I can’t shake this feeling, like I was too far away.”

“You want me to leave?” Lana looked up at Theo when he asked, standing still as they waited for his answer, but a relaxed  _ no _ from the other side made a small grin play on the beta’s lips. “You sure?”

“I’m just tired,” was the sleepy reply from the alpha and Lana giggled. Theo kissed her on the forehead, as he took a step back and reached for a towel before he wrapped it around himself and stepped out.

Scott looked up, catching his blue eyes, looking exhausted and confused. Theo just smirked, grabbed his stuff and walked out the door, closing it tightly behind him. Blinking away the questions, his eyes were quickly drawn to the symbiote who stepped out next, dripping wet and completely naked. Scott let a small rumble flow through him as he licked his lips.

“Shower, alpha,” Lana smiled as she wrapped a towel around herself, leaned down and kissed him, “then bed, I think we all deserve some rest.”

“Will you stay?” He barely got it out, leaning his forehead against hers as his fingers danced along the warm flesh of her arms.

“Yes,” she smirked, taking a step back so he could stand. He was barely keeping his eyes open, but managed, with help, to get the shirt up and over his head. With a grin, he followed her fingers as they trailed down to pull at the button on his jeans, “no funny stuff, just a shower.”

“You might want to stay on this side then,” he buried his nose in her hair as she unzipped the jeans and pushed them to the floor, boxers quickly following. “You smell like Theo.”

“Is that bad?” She paused, her hands on his hips.

“No,” but it was a weird tone, uncertain, like he wasn’t sure. “It’s,” Scott slipped his finger under her chin, tipping her head back to look up at him. “He’s ours now.”

Lana grinned, “he’s always been.”

“It’s weird,” Scott sighed, “I don’t know how to explain it.”

“They’re pack, all of them, and I think I know what you’re saying.” She took his wrist, slipped his fingers out and kissed the palm of his hand. “They’re like bitten betas now, blood bonded.”

“Yeah,” Scott nodded.

“Okay, before you fall asleep standing here,” she winked and stepped back, tilting her head towards the shower. Scott grinned, moped like he had been scolded and stepped behind the curtain. Lana busied herself with drying off and dressing as Scott quickly cleaned off, joining her not five minutes later, wet curls falling around his face. He pulled her close and kissed her softly. “It’s going to take a lot of self-control not to give into you every time you do that.”

“Tell me about it,” he smiled against her lips, but the pounding on the door behind him had him groaning. “Liam!” Scott barked, but they could hear the chuckle from Theo not far away. “Five minutes.”

“It’s already been twenty!” the younger member whined.

“I’ll go see him,” Lana kissed him once more, let her fingers run along his abs, tickling over skin, before she disappeared out the door.

With a deep breath in, Scott closed his eyes, focused on closing off the bond from the pack, and from Lana. Once he was sure that he was alone, really alone, he reached out for the sink, bracing himself against it as he stared into the mirror.

On his chest, right where her bite was, Scott picked up the dark veins that ran through his body. He let out a sigh, placed his hand over and rubbed. The dull ache under his skin was becoming worse, and the effort it took to cover the pain was exhausting. He let the red fade, staring into his own brown eyes, before he grabbed a shirt and yanked it over his head.

*****

The living room was a pile of mats again and Lana smiled down from the landing, Derek on one side, Liam pressed tight to the other. Theo was down in the melee arguing with Isaac about just where to put everything, but he was smiling, actually smiling.

“So,” the deep voice of the omega beside her smiled, “how do you feel?”

“No different,” she glanced up at him as he leaned his forearms on the rail, scanning over the pack. “I thought it would be this big, epic thing.”

“The sex wasn’t epic?” Liam scoffed, “you two should work on that.” Derek rolled his eyes and Lana turned to look at him, but the expression had faded from the beta’s face as he stood straight and glanced at her. “I didn’t mean to say that out loud.”

“We know,” Derek laughed, but Liam grew antsy as Lana continued to focus on him.

“Stop staring and say something,” the younger one growled, frustrated, and looked at her.

“I could give you details,” she winked, and Liam blushed.

“No,” he raised a brow, “no, I’m, um… no, thanks?”

She shook her head and turned back to the scene below where Theo now had Isaac pinned to the mat. “I meant the bond, I thought there would be some sort of change, but I can still feel all of you.”

“You felt us before?” The blue-eyed one was full of questions.

“On some level, yeah, I know I did.” Lana crossed her arms on the rail and rested her chin there, feeling Liam’s hand on her back, gently rubbing circles.

“So, what do you feel now?” Derek was curious, he knew what the pack felt like, and knew what it was to lose them but to blend two together, that was something new.

After a moment, she focused on Stiles. “Have you ever seen a crime board? I mean a really intense one, lots of victims, suspects, just before they catch the bad guy?” and there was a scoff from each side of her, which she took as a  _ yes _ . “Each string connects a victim to a crime, a crime to a person, or a place, and in the end, if it’s solved, all of it connects to one thing.” Lana stood straight, let her eyes change, the hue around her vision giving a red haze to the room, and she could see it. “It’s like a string that runs from every heart right to mine.”

But that was when she noticed it. Three that weren’t in the room, three she didn’t recognize. Two were barely there, but one...

“Lana?” Derek whispered behind her as she moved down the stairs, grabbing the attention of the pack, but Derek held up a hand, stopping their motion as he watched.

She reached up, tugged on the vibrating line that seemed to glow stronger the closer she got to the door, and with a deep breath, she reached out, turning the knob.

“Lana, wait!” Theo slipped past Isaac and Nick only to be blocked by Derek when she swung the door open.

There, standing outside, suitcase in hand was Peter, who stared down at the woman before him.

“Oh, great, now you’ve invaded my home.” the oldest member grumbled as he glanced over the rest of the room but gave Lana a small smirk. “Well, aren’t you going to invite me in?”

*****

Peter stood on one side of the island in the kitchen, eyes full of curiousness as he narrowed them at Lana. They hadn’t seen each other since that first night at Derek’s loft, but he was taking her in like he knew her.

“Curiouser and curiouser,” he whispered, the rocks glass in hand and she watched him bring it to his lips. Scott sighed, eyeing the whole exchange as Derek paced behind him, finger to his lips. The older Hale finally relented and looked away from Lana, focusing on Scott instead. “What were you thinking?”

Scott stood straight, not really expecting the reprimand. “I really wasn’t.”

“So, now you’re mated and neither of you has a clue as to what exactly it was you committed to?” Peter sipped on the amber liquid and watched as Stiles slowly entered the room, Lydia scooting past with the small child in her hand, avoiding Peter. They had fixed their toxic relationship over the years, but she still would rather not be in the same room if possible. The human exchanged a small look of annoyance with Scott before finding himself a spot by the island. “A blood bond like you two created hasn’t been seen in centuries, it links the pack, all of us.”

“We knew that.” Lana groaned out, her voice full of annoyance.

“But do you know what happens if one you dies?” Peter raised a brow.

“The other dies too,” Scott added as he reached out and took her hand.

“Not necessarily but the ramifications could be just as catastrophic.”

“What are you saying?” Derek stepped up, fingers clutching the counter. “Is the mythology wrong?”

“No, not entirely.” Peter moved, grabbed the bottle of whiskey from the counter, looked at the contents and his eyes automatically went to Stiles, who tried to be sneaky and pointed at Lana, getting the symbiote to roll her eyes. “There are stories of mates surviving the death of their other, but those who did, well, we’ve all seen the berserkers before.”

“So, one of us would go mad?” Scott whispered, his eyes on Lana’s profile.

“I’m sure her wolf is impressive in its natural state,” Peter was more than cocky with that answer, as if he had seen just what she could become before, and he saw the way that Derek shivered. “The problem isn’t what the mate will become, it’s what will happen to the pack.”

“You know, the whole doom and dying thing is getting a little old,” Stiles huffed, stealing the rocks glass from the counter. He pitched a brow at Peter, raised the glass in a salute and downed an ounce or two of the burning liquid before Peter snatched it back. With a cough or two, or more like one and a half, Stiles caught his breath and leaned on the counter. “Damn.”

“Children shouldn’t play with adult things,” Peter’s blue eyes stared into Stiles and the human shivered at the attention. He was just like Derek sometimes - actually scary - and Stiles rolled his eyes.

“Okay!” he snipped, “God.” There was a stalemate for a moment, as everyone collected their thoughts and finally Peter released him before going back to Scott and Lana. “So, what will happen to the pack?”

“They’ll all go insane,” the older man shrugged, as if it weren’t anything major.

“Like how… insane?” Scott questioned, not sure at all of what any of this meant.

“Batshit crazy,” Peter smirked, but his eyes were focused on Lana, who didn’t seem like she was paying any attention. He watched the way her eyes moved, just the slight tilt of her head and he lowered down onto his forearms, not touching her but moving just that much closer. “What is it?” All eyes were suddenly on her, but she didn’t move. “What do you hear?”

“Nothing.” Her voice was light, barely there, but her eyes shifted, moving enough to lock on his. “Absolutely nothing.”

“Good,” he reached out the tips of his fingers as if he felt the need to connect with her. He was experimenting and as soon as those callous tips touched the back of her hand, Lana jumped with the sound of his heartbeat. “And now?”

Her eyes flashed red, drawing out his response as the blue in his brightened. “You.”

“Very good,” Peter whispered, but he drew in breath and broke the connection between them, suddenly uncomfortable with how close he wanted to be. “You can separate the pack, draw on individual presences, but you can also read them as a whole.” He glanced up at Scott. “Let go.”

“What?” The alpha growled at him, but Peter just stood straight and shook his head, before he looked down at their joined hands.

“Let. Her. Go.” He gave Scott a little tilt of his head as he crossed his arms and saw the moment Scott released her.

Lana’s eyes went wide, bright crimson red as she stared off at nothing. Her lips parted as if she were drawing on scents, but it was the quick tick of her head that the men watched with fascination.

Lana could see them all, each separate heartbeat in her mind led her right to the person it connected to without leaving the room. She could see where Isaac lazily leaned against Nick’s side even if her beta seemed to not even be paying attention. Where Mason and Corey lay together spooning on the couch as Mason flipped through the channels. How Malia paced the hall just under the balcony to the second floor. Where Theo and Liam stood, both leaning on the rails of the patio, watching the world outside. But it was the rapid heartbeat from behind the closed door that got her to move.

Scott glanced at the men behind him when she stepped away but cautiously followed as she ascended the stairs with Stiles right behind him. Both paused as Lana stopped and knocked on the door to the spare bedroom. They looked at each other, quickly confused, before Lydia opened it wide and stared at the symbiote.

Lana looked her over, glanced at the sleeping girl behind her, but was instantly drawn back to Lydia. The banshee had no idea what was going on, but when Lana reached a hand out, Stiles moved to step forward, only to be stayed by his wife raising her hand. Scott swallowed, unsure of what was going on, but the two women only took each other in.

“Can I?” Lana questioned, her hand paused inches from Lydia but the strawberry-blonde in front of her nodded, even smiled a little as Lana moved to her knees, something that got Stiles to move again, until Lana turned her head in his direction, the red becoming a dull color but her eyes were full of wonder as she placed her ear against Lydia’s stomach.

“What the hell?” Scott whispered, even as Lydia smiled, reached down and placed her hand on Lana’s head smoothing the hair down like she did when Allison hugged her. The symbiote’s eyes were wide as she blinked back tears before they shifted back to blue and stared up at Stiles unsure of what to do, or how to take the information. “Stiles? What the hell?”

“Ah, we were going to tell you when this was over,” he looked at his wife and shrugged, then down at the way the tears rolled down Lana’s cheeks, even as she closed her eyes tight and just held on. Scott’s head turned from one direction to the other as if he were watching a tennis match. “Lydia’s pregnant.”

“Yeah, no shit.” But there wasn’t any bite to it, he was just surprised.

“We’re having a baby,” the wide grin on Stiles’ face made even the overtired banshee smile.

“No,” Lana sighed, her nose against Lydia’s stomach muffled the sound of it but the breath she let out was filled with emotion.

“No, we’re not having a baby?” Stiles was confused. “Are we having a puppy?”

“No,” she whispered again, eyes bright as she opened them, “you’re having two.”

Stiles staggered, and if it weren’t for Scott grabbing his arm, he would have headed back and right down the stairs, but his amber eyes went right to his wife, who’s shocked face was staring down, wide-eyed at Lana.

“Excuse me?” She snipped but held onto the symbiote lovingly. “Two?”

“Yeah,” Lana backed away slowly, and suddenly she blushed. “Oh, my God, you didn’t know?” She stood, placing her hands over her mouth, embarrassed and emotional. “I’m so sorry,” she shook her head, suddenly wanting to hide. “I didn’t know, I just heard them and had to…” 

The tears weren’t happy anymore, they were painful and suddenly Scott was at her side, wrapping his arms around her as Stiles moved to kiss a very smiling Lydia on the forehead.

Both looked up as they heard the panicked rumble from the woman across the hall. Stiles moved as quickly as he could, cupping his hands on her cheeks, catching Lana’s eyes. “Hey, Lana, it’s okay.”

“It’s not, Stiles,” she swallowed as Scott ran his hand over her hair. “You shouldn’t have found out that way.”

“Actually,” Lydia whispered, coming up on the group, and she ran her thumb over Lana’s cheek, wiping away the tears. “I wouldn’t have wanted to find out any other way.”

“What?” Scott laughed, and Stiles wrapped his arm around his wife.

“We’re pack, right?” She was talking straight to Lana, who looked thoroughly confused. “Scott’s your mate, your alpha?” He understood what she was doing, breaking it down for a panicked wolf. “That makes you our alpha too.” Lana shifted in his arms, putting her back to Scott. “I can’t think of a better way.”

Lana huffed out a breath, slowly her emotions as Lydia gathered her in her arms, pulled her tight against her and sighed, but what the banshee wasn’t expecting was the wolf to lean into her neck and breath her in deeply.

“Did you just scent me?” Lydia whispered against her hair, and from her spot against her neck she heard a quiet  _ yeah, sorry _ . Scott reached out, smile on his face and took Lana by the shoulders.

“Come on, I think we all need to get a little sleep before things really go south,” he was laughing when he said it, but she went with him anyway, tucking into his arms to hide the emotions in her eyes. Scott smiled at the two of them, the way that Stiles held his wife close. “Congratulations.”

“Thanks, man,” Stiles clapped him on the shoulder, giving him a few good squeezes. “We were going to wait until we were alone to tell you, but,” he glanced at the eyes of the pack that were on them, “it’s better when surrounded by family.”

“Goodnight, guys,” he nodded and headed down the stairs, Lana’s hand in his as he headed towards the group. “Okay, you wild animals, find a spot and go the fuck to sleep.”

*****

Lana opened her eyes quickly, drew in a quiet but shaky breath. In her nightmares, she had seen herself staring back, not her in her wolf form, bright red eyes and fur, but the werewolf she had become when facing her brother. It was a staring contest she couldn’t win, not when it was looking at her, towering over her.

Just before she woke, it attacked, the only thing in her vision was the way its jaws took over everything, threatening to swallow her whole. It was terrifying.

Scooting out from between Scott and Theo, her normal place in the pile, she glanced over the way every one of them had contact with the other, even Isaac, who was protected on both sides by Derek and Nick, was in contact with Scott in some way, his arm stretched up to flicker in the alpha’s hair, but it was Peter that caught her attention.

He was leaning in the recliner, one leg stretched out so this socked foot absently rubbed against Derek’s shin, light enough not to wake the man but definitely making contact, his opposite arm was bent at the elbow and resting on the arm of the chair, fingers against his lips as he stared out into the night though the large glass windows. He didn’t flinch as she approached, looked completely bored with the whole thing, but when she crouched down, blocking the view, his blue eyes went right to hers, unwavering in his stare.

“How do you know so much about mating bonds?” Her voice was low, hushed as she tried to not stir the pack and Peter smiled.

“I know a lot about many things, I just keep it to myself.” She saw the moment he knew his snarky comment had failed, the second he figured out that there was more concern in his voice than there should have been. Lana took his hand, the one that sat on his lap, and he let himself be pulled up gently from the chair.

They moved through the house silently, like two coyotes tiptoeing, until Lana slid the glass door open and Peter found himself stepping out onto the patio. It wrapped around the whole house, the only section of it not elevated was the one by the front door, and the view from this side was mostly woods. The field was to the far left of them and this was the furthest away from the pack that she could get.

Once they were sealed out, Lana dropped his hand and crossed her arms as she stared up at him. “Why did you come back?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Peter smirked, just that sarcastic asshole smile he seemed to always put on when he was trying to manipulate, get what he wanted. “I’m Scott’s maker, and alpha or not…”

“You’re connected,” Lana nodded, “so, you felt the change?”

“The moment he bit you, yes.” Peter sighed, “though a bit of warning would have been nice, I broke my favorite coffee mug.” Lana rolled her eyes. “You know what I find funny,” but he didn’t wait for her to answer. “You haven’t even noticed the connections yet, have you? The fact that you’re meant to be here?”

“What are you talking about?” She turned away from him, looking out over the woods as she leaned on the railing. Peter stepped up beside her, glanced over her profile for just a moment before looking out over the property.

“Everyone in this pack is connected, in some strange way or another, haven’t you seen it yet?” Peter whispered, as if this wasn’t something major. “Theo, for instance, knew Nick a long time before he knew you, and we know the connection between Turret and Liam. Stiles found you six years ago, and here you are connected to his pack. Argent knew you, and Morrell, who sent you this way. And I knew your grandmother.” This got her to look up. “Talia was always so set on making nice with the other packs. So, we went east and met with Mallory several times a year. I was at your first New Moon.”

“Bullshit!” Lana snapped, standing straight as she turned to him fully, claws out. Peter followed, facing her but he kept his powers in check even when her eyes flared red. “You weren’t there.”

“I was, but I kept in the background,” his eyes went from hers, down over her body, and back up as he gave his head just a little tilt, as if he were studying here. “You remember.”

Lana took in the air around her, picking up on his signals. There wasn’t anything there, Peter had amazing control over his body, even his heart rate and Lana shook off the scent of him. “No.”

“Then remember this,” he whispered, stepping closer. “The new moon before your accident, Jonathan cornered you behind a cabin, he was drunk, wanted an out, needed to curb the violence. He had you by the throat, claws digging into your neck, choking the life out of you.” Lana was frozen in place, her eyes distant with the memory and she never noticed the way he closed the gap until his forehead touched hers. “You could feel the way he tore at your skin, just a little at a time, slicing down your side. You were on the verge of darkness, until you heard a voice…”

“That wasn’t yours,” Lana breathed out, panic in her tone as she took a step back, eyes clearing as she glared up at him.

“No, it wasn’t.” Peter smiled but didn’t move.

“It was mine,” Derek’s forceful tone had both of them turning to face the stoic wolf. His eyes locked on Peter; hands curled into fists at his side. Lana could smell the anger, the violence that sung in the air. “What are you doing?”

“See, there’s always been a connection,” the elder wolf leaned down to whisper in her ear, “even with Derek.” He ended his nephew’s name with a  _ kick _ sound and the omega’s eyes flared blue. “You were his long before you were Scott’s.”

“Go,” Derek growled, muscles twitching to move, to attack, but he held his ground. “If you’re not going to help her, then just leave. You only came back because you felt the power their union created.”

“I came back for my pack, dear nephew.” Peter grinned as he stepped away from the shaking symbiote, moving up beside Derek as he narrowed his eyes. “Isn’t it amazing how things come full circle?”

Derek turned his head, eyes locked on his uncle’s. “Are you trying to complicate things?”

“No, just trying to make sure that the truth is out there.” Peter smirked, before raising a brow, as if Derek knew what he meant before he glanced one last time in Lana’s direction and stepped off the porch.

The moment he was gone, Lana’s posture changed, she turned, placed her back to the railing and closed her eyes, but Derek didn’t move, not until she looked up at him. “You knew me?”

“Once,” he sighed, digging his fists into the pocket of his jeans, the ones he had pulled on the moment he watched them leave the room, “twice actually.”

“Okay,” she rubbed her forehead, then pinched the bridge of her nose. “If that was the first, when was the second?”

Derek looked around, let the air slowly release from his lungs and shifted so that his arms were crossed. “The night of your accident.”

She knew it, deep down, somewhere in her heart, she knew why he was so easy to let in, why he was so familiar the first night she attacked him, and why she couldn’t hurt him even then, and a tear slid down her cheek.

“Tell me,” her voice cracked as she let her gaze follow his movement, until he was standing in front of her. “Tell what happened.”

Derek took a moment, silence filling the night before he, let out a slow breath through his nose. “Talia was up for a summit, and I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about what happened the last time we saw each other. It had only been a month,” he tone was angry, “but I couldn’t let it go, so I tagged along, just to make sure.” He reached out, fingers flexing for something tactile to hold onto, but he paused just out of reach. “When they sent you up together, I followed, and I waited.” He closed his eyes tightly for a few moments, clenched his fingers as his claws sprang out, and Lana’s eyes responded to the bright omega blue that his suddenly took on. “I watched it roll, there was nothing I could do to stop it. I wanted to leave him there, wanted to watch him burn, but I pulled him out, and you…” his fingers finally found her, both hands gently ran along her neck. “I saw it, the moment she took you. You weren’t breathing, you had no pulse, and no matter what I did, you wouldn’t come back.”

Lana placed her palm against his chest, felt the race of his heart under his touch, the way it lifted with each breath and she fisted his shirt in her hand, as she closed her eyes tightly, memories flashing back.

_ “Lana!” his voice was so familiar, “hold on, just hold on.” Hands on her cheeks as she fought to come back, everything in her racing for the surface and suddenly she was on fire, all of her burned. “LANA!” He blinked into focus, green eyes full of fear, until he let out a relieved sigh. “There you are, little alpha, stay with me.” _

“How did you know?” She whispered softly, leaning forward, placing her forehead on his chest. Derek’s fingers traced up her back, one curling on her neck, fingers tangled in her hair. “You called me  _ little alpha _ , how did you know?”

“Your eyes,” he whispered, “your eyes were red when you opened them.”

“I was sixteen,” she didn’t understand, “there was no way I was one yet.”

“I didn’t see your wolf at the celebration,” Derek admitted, “I saw a scared girl being terrorized by her brother. It was just a way to keep you there with me.” He leaned down, kissed the back of her head as best he could, before he slipped his hands under her arms and helped her stand straight, looking her deep in those emotional blue eyes. “But what Peter said, you were never mine.”

“It doesn’t matter,” she swallowed hard and stepped back, putting space between them as she gathered herself, eyes going bright, “he was right about one thing.”

“God, please don’t ever let him hear you say that.” Derek huffed.

“We’re all connected,” Lana shook her head, “you, me, Stiles, Theo, Argent, Nick, Liam… others.” She saw the tightness in his jaw as he looked out into the night. “The prophecy of the Nemeton, Derek, has been in the works for years. So, I can’t help but think that we’re not getting out of this. Scott and I will die, and where the hell is that going to leave all of you?”

“Hey,” he shook his head, bent just at the waist, adjusting to make sure he was eye level with her and cocked a brow. “We’re pack, family, and the one thing we won’t let happen is that.”

“Oh, yeah.” She smirked, the emotions draining from her face, “and what if you can’t stop it?”

Derek’s brow furrowed at her sudden change, the way that everything in her scent shifted before she gave him one last glanced and walked away. He crossed his arms as the door closed, let his eyes shut for a moment before he balanced himself with an internal mantra, and growled as his phone beeped.

It was the middle of the night, who the hell was texting him?

Pulling the phone from his pocket, he pressed his thumb against the sensor and watched as the screen lit up, showing him the inside of the freezer. Jonathan stood there, free of his bonds, eyes focused, bright orange and glowing, with a smirk on his face. His skin had that same lizard pattern on it from before, scales and spikes, but Derek watched as the smirk grew into a smile before the man jumped and the feed went dark.

Derek growled, “son of a  _ bitch _ !”


	12. Episode Twelve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We're almost to the end.

Episode 1x12

Derek slipped his coat on and grabbed the keys to the Camaro just as Scott got up from the bed, approaching him as quietly as he could. It didn’t escape the alpha’s attention that Lana wasn’t beside him and Peter was lounging in the chair, scowl on his face, but as much as she might be on his mind, Derek was his concern at the moment.

“What’s going on?” Scott whispered low, getting into the other wolf’s personal space. Derek huffed out his nose, held up his phone, and hit replay. He knew the moment the alpha saw it from the light growl that escaped him. “So, you’re going alone?”

“No,” Derek murmured, eyes glancing at Peter, who knew he was being glared at. “I’m waiting for him to get off his ass.”

“Wait no more,” the older Hale replied with sarcasm, getting to his feet as he grabbed the light jacket. “You know, it wouldn’t hurt for you to be polite and ask, not just  _ assume _ I’m going to be part of your  _ save the world _ campaign.”

Derek raised a brow at Scott as his uncle slipped past him and sighed.

“Where’s Lana?” Scott narrowed his eyes at the omega, “I can smell her on you, Derek.”

He glanced around the room before his eyes landed back on the alpha. “We were on the porch together,” his gaze going to the rooms under the balcony, “I think she’s in the study.”

“Is she okay?”

“You might have to ask her that yourself,” he flipped the keys in his hand, trying to distract himself, “but I know she’s probably pretty pissed at me.”

“I’m sure whatever it is, she’ll forgive you.” The smile on his face always got to the omega. Scott seemed to give everyone the benefit of the doubt, no matter what they’ve done, even after first being bitten, but all these years later, Derek still found himself at a loss for the man’s attention. Scott patted him on the shoulder and sighed, “call if you need back-up.”

“As soon as I figure out what the hell is going on.” Derek nodded, and disappeared out the door.

*****

Lana was right where he said she might be, eyes going over the spines of Peter’s collection, taking in everything, but she stilled the moment Scott entered the room, back straight, scent masked, so he didn’t come any closer.

“You okay?” His voice was low, barely audible to human ears, but she reached up, ran her fingers along the leather bound book and shrugged.

“I guess,” she slowly turned, hair pulled back in a loose bun that let thick strands fall in her eyes. “I just found out that not only was Peter at my home, but Derek saved me from my brother, twice. He was the first one to see my eyes.”

“Yeah,” Scott nodded, “I figured something like that had happened. Derek doesn’t usually take that fast to someone.”

“So, I’ve been told,” she moved around the desk, closing the distance between them. Scott smiled softly as he pulled her into his arms, lips pressed against hers, not hard and biting, but gentle and loving. When he pulled back, her eyes were closed, and she licked out, drawing her lower lip in, tasting him. “I’m never going to get used to that.”

“Don’t worry, we have all the time in the world to make you a believer,” he brushed her hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear as he pressed his forehead to hers, but the smile slowly fell from his face. “Derek went to check on Jonathan.”

“He’s awake, isn’t he?”

“And free, though I’m not sure that he’s out of the freezer yet,” he heard her swallow, her heart rate rise, and he cupped her face gently, getting her to look up at him. “We’re going to be okay, Lana, trust me, he’s not going to get to you again.”

“It’s not me I’m worried about.” Scott leaned in, letting his lips brush hers tenderly as he took in her scent, but when he backed away, he could smell the anxiety on her. His beautiful brown eyes focused on her, the way her heart beat, the sound of her breathing, and he drew her in, cheek to cheek before he closed his eyes. “Scott, I’m scared. No, not scared, terrified.”

“Me too,” he sighed, lips against her neck as his nose rested behind her ear. “I’m going to protect you.”

“Don’t promise anything,” she ran a hand up and into his hair feeling it thread through his fingers. “Please.”

“Alright,” with a deep breath, he backed away, took her hand, and led her out to the warmth of the sleeping bodies that took up the living room.

He stepped gently over Liam’s leg, nearly coming down on Isaac’s foot from the other side of the shrinking space. The beta had moved into Scott’s spot shortly after Derek had gone out to find Peter and Lana and was now face first into his pillow. Theo groaned and shifted as soon as Lana settled beside him, pressing his face against her back as she faced Scott, and the alpha smiled when his hand came over her waist.

It wasn’t new, had been happening since that first night but now it was different, comforting, and Scott didn’t feel an ounce of distrust. He stretched his legs out, Isaac slipped his between them to get comfortable, before he took Lana’s hand and brought it to his lips, leaning his forehead against hers. There was a whimper among the crowd and Theo’s hand disappeared for a moment, a quiet shushing sound broke the night before it returned, clenching onto her shirt.

It was Liam’s nightmare, probably still from the time that Brett and Lori were injured, one that would never let him go and there wasn’t a damn thing Scott could do to help his beta. He watched from over Lana’s head as an arm came around, Nick’s from what he could see, and found some way to touch the beta. He could sense the signals, the way that Liam eased back into sleep between the two of them and as much as he still was uncertain of Nick, it definitely lifted a little of the skepticism around the psychic wolf.

“You’re thinking too loud,” Lana whispered, and Scott smirked, kissed her forehead but didn’t answer, he just closed his eyes and relaxed against her. “Much better.” 

*****

Derek flipped on the lights as he and Peter stepped through the door. Everything inside was quiet, but the two, themselves, were almost silent as they moved. With Peter at his back, Derek slipped around the kitchen, making his way down the basement stairs to the dry storage area. Pausing at the bottom of the staircase, both men looked towards the broken, mangled freezer door and Peter scoffed behind him.

“Do you even know what kind of symbiote he is?” The older one sighed, like it was suddenly going to become a chore to him.

“Kanima,” Derek replied, uninterested in the wolf’s sudden irritation, “born wolf,” he could feel Peter rolling his eyes behind his back, “and scorpion.”

“Three?” Peter groaned in disbelief. “This thing isn’t a symbiote, it’s certainly not a chimera, it’s a science experiment, Derek, and you should have taken that girl and gotten far, far away from here.” He pushed past his nephew, heading towards the door as Derek stepped down, taking his time, eyeing over everything and every place that could be used as a hiding spot.

“Yeah, so we keep getting told,” he mumbled, but his omega blues were looking for heat signatures, or unusual cold spots. So far he wasn’t getting anything. “The safest place is still here with the pack.”

“Try telling that to her when she’s lying on the Nemeton bleeding out.” Peter growled from inside the freezer, “or when Scott’s heart stops because of the venom.”

“What?” Derek whipped around, eyes on his uncle, but Peter didn’t stop the way he was poking at stuff. “Peter!” The other omega in the room brought his head up quickly, human blue eyes looking over at the younger wolf and he blinked. “What venom?”

Peter’s brow furrowed as Derek stepped closer, confusion written on the boy’s face. “You didn’t smell it on him?”

“Would I be asking if I had?”

Peter sighed exasperated and shook his head before he stepped out of the freezer. “Whatever happened before the  _ bite _ between them is still in his system, taking in her blood only made it exponentially more potent.”

“We fought Jonathan.” Derek spoke more to himself than Peter, but when he looked up there was panic in his eyes. “The venom did something to Scott. His heart rate dropped, his body temperature, pulse, he stopped breathing.”

“Basically, it killed him,” Peter pitched a brow as Derek crossed his arms. “It’s a shame there’s no Deaton here anymore to help with strange poisons.”

“The nine herbs?” Derek questioned, not so much confused but uncertain.

“They can cure most supernatural poisons if I remember correctly.” Peter watched as Derek pondered over it, but he didn’t move. “Derek,” this got his green eyes to look up, “which is more important? Finding Jonathan, or curing your alpha?”

“Scott’s more important than anything,” Derek snapped, but it only had Peter smiling.

“Didn’t you store them at the loft?” When Derek didn’t reply, Peter was more than confused. “Where are they?”

*****

Scott shifted in his sleep, hand coming up to rub on his chest, heart thumping painfully in its cage, as if it were about to break out, but he didn’t really wake from the strange psychedelic dream he was trapped in.

However, Lana did.

She sat up slowly, eyes red enough to see the heat on his skin, and the black veins that ran underneath it. Theo was leaning over her, the beta having been shaking from his own slumber when the symbiote sat up, he watched as she hiked up the tee-shirt, trailed her fingers up Scott’s abdomen and stopped just below his heart.

Glancing back at the man behind her, she let the red glow just a bit more, getting the expected result as Theo clenched his jaw and let his golden eyes follow the line her fingertips had let on Scott’s cooling skin. He drew in a deep breath when he paused, narrowed in on the web pattern that took over his chest, and slowly pushed her aside, leaning in closely to draw in his scent.

“Are you three in some kind of weird poly relationship?” Isaac’s voice interrupted and the two quickly turned their attention to the beta. Isaac sat up slowly, taking in the way their power shined and then glanced at Scott. “What’s going on? What’s wrong with him?”

“I’m not sure,” Theo whispered, vision locked on the alpha below him. “He doesn’t smell right.”

“How’s he supposed to smell after a mating bond?” The lanky wolf asked, shifting up to move closer to Scott. He drew in the scent, letting it tickle his nose and quickly sneezed. “Never mind, you’re right.”

“Come on,” Lana whispered, addressing them both, “help me get him up to the bedroom.”

They slowly slipped out of the bed, making sure to not disturb anyone else, the last thing they needed was a panic, but once they topped the stairs, it was as if Stiles had this weird radar for bad stuff happening. The human was standing in the doorway as they placed Scott on the bed, but Lana quickly glanced down over the napping pack before she yanked him into the room.

“Anchors,” she grumbled with irritation as she took a clawed finger and ripped down the center of Scott’s shirt. His skin was cool and clammy, sweat dripped down his hairline, and he shook under her touch.

“What’s going on?” Stiles questioned as Theo and Isaac moved from the en suite back to the bed with cloths and water. He gripped Theo’s arm before the beta could get by. “Answer me.”

“We don’t know,” he replied honestly, “we don’t know anything.”

Theo shook off his touch and headed back into the bathroom to grab something, anything in order to keep his mind occupied. Stiles moved swiftly to the bed, sitting beside Lana, close enough to press his chest against her shoulder, staring at her profile.

“What are you picking up?” He spoke softly, knowing she was just as freaked out as he was, and he ran his hand down her arm to cover the one on Scott’s chest, but when his eyes followed, his vision blurred and suddenly he was seeing what she was, black lines that moved through his friend, surrounded by a red hue. “Lana, is this what you're seeing? Is Scott poisoned?” Lana’s breath hitched as she looked up at him, alpha red coloring her eyes and she nodded. “How am I seeing this?”

“You have your own spark, Stiles,” her tone was wrecked, like she was on the verge of tears, barely hanging on but the power faded slowly, and she smiled at him. “I know Deaton probably told you that a long time ago, but you’ve been an anchor for a true alpha, that’s not something most humans can do, and your pack.”

“What does that even mean?” He let his fingers curl in between hers, locking their hands together.

“You felt the bond just like everyone else,” she shrugged, “it might not have affected your eyes, or your senses, but it did something.”

“Why can I see what you do?” Stiles needed to know.

“Because somewhere along the line,” she leaned in, smiling, “you became one of us.”

Stiles snatched his hand back, slipped away from her and tented his hands over his nose. Lana watched him pace as Theo sat across from her on the bed, confusion in his eyes while Isaac knelt on the floor beside the beta and took Scott’s hand. She glanced back at Theo, gave a little shake of her head as if to say  _ don’t ask _ , but that was when Stiles stopped.

“It’s because I’ve had sex with a banshee, isn’t it?” The human glanced at the three of them. Isaac let his face drop to the blanket, Theo scoffed and looked away, but Lana only grinned. “Is it transmittable? Could Lydia have given it to me?”

“Oh, my God, Stiles!” Theo snapped, “it’s not an STD.”

“Then how, Theo? How can I see what she does when I touch her?” Stiles was on the verge of a panic attack when he paused, glanced down at the way the beta was gently dabbing the sweat from the alpha’s brow and narrowed his eyes. “It was the Nogitsune, wasn’t it?”

“You were touched by the supernatural, Stiles.” Lana whispered, reaching out a hand. The man took a breath, closed his eyes for a moment and finally made it over to the bed, taking her fingers in his. “It’s nothing to be scared of.”

“I’m not, okay,” he nodded, but was completely lying, “I’m just worried about him.” He leaned forward and kissed her on the head. “What’s wrong with him anyway?”

*****

“Scorpion poison mixed with kanima venom?” Melissa questioned as she stood in her kitchen, bathrobe tied tightly at her waist with pink, fuzzy slippers on her feet. Argent turned from the pot and glanced over Peter and Derek, brow raised, and he considered the possibility. “And you don’t think he has a clue?”

“He might,” Peter tapped on the counter, narrowing his eyes at her. “However, with everything that’s gone on in the last week, he also may not know what side is up.”

“What does that mean?”

Argent sighed, “Lana.”

“Exactly,” Peter smirked. “While mates are mostly mythology, it seems our alpha has found himself a bit sideswiped at her arrival. The two of them together are immensely powerful, but that also drew Jonathan here, and he can be more dangerous than anything they’ve ever seen.”

“Obviously,” Melissa rubbed her hands across her forehead before looking at Derek, “follow me.”

Peter stayed behind, exchanging glances with Argent as the two of them disappeared down the basement stairs. Peter leaned in close. “I thought you were going to take care of this.”

“You don’t think I tried to get them to take her out of here?” Argent snapped, keeping his voice low. “I tried, but when I found out they were mates, that changed everything.”

“No, it changed  _ nothing _ , they’re still prophesied to  _ die _ at the Nemeton, how could you forget that?”

“I don’t understand why you didn’t stick around to help work this out,” Chris closed his fist around the mug, trying to keep from hitting the man in front of him. “You took off the moment she stepped into the loft, so why are you blaming this on me?”

“There was something in Argentina that I had to look into, and if I’m right, we have bigger problems than a symbiote mate and a science experiment gone wrong.” Peter growled, ears going to the pair in the cellar. “If this works out,  _ if _ they live, you need to get them the hell out of here.”

“And take them where?”

Peter stood straight, “across the world, because if they stay close, it won’t matter where, what comes next isn’t going to be something they can escape from.”

“What the hell did you find out?”

“Let’s concentrate on one thing at a time, shall we?” Peter drew in a deep breath, “First we fix the alpha, then we kill the brother.”

Derek stepped into the room, a mixture of the nine herbs in his hand, but his eyes narrowed on Argent and Peter as they both stared at him. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing,” Peter growled. “Let’s go before it gets worse,” he scratched at his chest, “I can feel it under my skin.”

*****

Liam sat up, the strange dull ache in his chest was now like pins and needles and he rubbed at it with the heel of his hand, eyes going to the half-empty room. He took in the scents around him, focused on Theo’s and moved out from under the blanket, realizing that there was no way to get a good lock on him when he was surrounded by his scent. Once the fabric was gone, he knew how to find them all. Not only was Theo missing, but so were the two alphas, and Isaac.

He grumbled, irritated that it was yet again sometime around ass o’clock in the morning and he’d had not nearly enough sleep for games. Trudging up the stairs, following the scent of his anchor and alpha, he stopped dead just outside the door. The signals that hit him as he stood there was nothing but pain and anxiety, fear, and something he didn’t recognize.

Liam burst through the door just as Scott arched off the bed, his claws fisted tightly against his side, fangs bared as his red eyes stared up at the ceiling. Theo was holding his shoulders down, Isaac had his legs, but Lana was leaning over him, her hand on the spot just above his heart. Stiles got off the bed, moved towards him and while Liam was prepared for the human’s touch, he still growled and pushed against the hands on his arms.

“Hey, Liam, you don’t need to be in here right now.” Stiles whispered softly, “it’s not good.”

“I’m not a kid anymore, Stiles, you don’t need to protect me.” His voice was deep, angry.

“Oh, I’m not protecting you,” he grinned, “I’m protecting them, because when it comes to Scott, you’re not exactly stable.”

“Stiles let me go,” he huffed out, staring up at him with golden eyes.

“Yeah,” he drew out, “not gonna happen.”

“Stiles,” Lana bit out, “let him in, it might help.”

He raised his hands, letting the beta through, and turned as Liam nearly crawled up the bed, putting himself beside Theo.

“What’s going on?” Liam looked between the two of them, eyes steadily locking on Lana’s, “what’s happening to him?”

“We don’t know,” she reached out, running her hand through his hair, “it’s some sort of poison.”

“What are you doing about it?” Liam growled, and she narrowed her eyes at him, understanding his anger and fear. “Are you just going to sit here and do nothing?”

“Peter and Derek are on their way,” Stiles stepped up beside Lana and followed her fingers to the man. Constant contact with Liam always seemed to ease the anger, offset the rage, and it wasn’t any different this time as he leaned into Theo. “They have the nine herbs, and we think that can help.”

“They need a binding agent though,” Theo raised his brows, glancing from the alpha to his friend. “They said it was  _ mel _ ?”

“Honey,” Stiles nodded, and then he suddenly understood, his eyes landing on Liam. “I need you to go down to the kitchen and find it. I know I saw it the other day, I just don’t remember where.”

“I can’t leave,” those three words drained the anger from his face and Theo finally placed a hand on his shoulder.

“You can, we’ve got him,” the beta whispered, and Liam’s glare turned to fear. “Liam, listen, they’ll be here any minute, the more time they spend looking for it, the longer this stuff stays in his system. Please, go find it.”

Liam bit his lip, eyes firmly locked on Theo’s, and finally, he nodded before scooting back off the bed and away from those reaffirming hands. He quickly glanced back before bolting out of the room and down the stairs, the sound of his feet hitting the wood shook the rest of the pack from their slumber.

Liam rummaged through the cabinets. He knew he had seen the honey bear shaped container somewhere, but he couldn’t remember where. He couldn’t focus, not with his heart racing, not with the sound of his own breathing in his ears. He leaned on the counter, claws digging into the cheap top as his eyes glowed a deep gold and his fangs bit into his lips.

He felt the world spinning, he needed to get away but just as he turned, he looked up at the wolf that stood before him. Nick grinned, the half of a foot height difference wasn’t threatening at all, and the smile wasn’t one that Liam felt he had to defend himself against, but he growled nonetheless, lips rolling back for a moment before he suddenly could picture Brett doing the same thing.

The thump of his heart against his chest hurt and he huffed out the pain, trying to steady his breathing, but nothing was working. He couldn’t hold back, he needed to lash out, but Turret was in the way, and suddenly, there was a strange tickle in his mind, a calming presence that slowed his beat, reigned in his breath.

_ “That’s it, little wolf,” _ Turret’s voice invaded his senses and Liam slumped back against the counter. The tickle faded and all the beta was left with was an older version of Brett’s face staring down at him. “What are you looking for?”

“Honey,” Liam sighed out, he watched as Nick turned, reached above the refrigerator door, and pulled down the bear-shaped bottle, holding out for him. “Thanks.”

“What’s going on that has you all up in a tither?”

“Scott,” he drew in a breath, “Scott’s been poisoned,” and this got the omega to look up the stairs. “No, don’t bother. They’ll just kick you out.” Liam tried to hold in the hurt, but Nick could hear it in his voice. “Derek’s on his way with something.”

Both turned as the lights from the Camaro shined into the building. “Looks like they’re here.”

Liam watched the way Nick flipped through the cabinets just as Derek stepped in, followed by Peter, holding a glass jar.

“I need…” Derek started, but the mortar and pestle were already on the counter, and Nick was standing back with his arms crossed as if he hadn’t done a thing. “Can you find me…” Liam placed the honey on the counter beside it and Derek sighed. “Okay, so everyone knows what’s going on, now all we need to find is….” Peter set a new razor blade on the counter and Derek just rolled his eyes. “Fine, let’s do this.”

He dumped the herbs into the bowl and mashed them down into as fine a mixture as he could get before he added the honey and turned that with the back of a spoon. Taking the blade between two fingers, he dashed up the stairs with the mortar in hand before bursting through the door.

Lana looked up, eyes bright red and Derek stopped, giving her an  _ I come in peace _ look before he gently raised the bowl. Isaac backed off, giving him room to move around before the omega looked at Theo, who let go and quietly back up to the wall, with Liam joining him as they watched Derek raise the razor above Scott’s heart.

His green eyes were on Lana’s for only a moment before he dragged the fine edge along Scott’s chest, causing the alpha to cry out, but he didn’t move, held as still as he could, even with his claws digging into the mattress. Lana took the bowl when Derek pulled the razor away and slowly used the back of the spoon to coat the wound with the salve.

As it set, Scott’s eyes grew heavy, his heartbeat slowed, and his breathing evened out. His red eyes found Lana’s, but his exhaustion won in the end, dragging him down into the darkness. Lana let her chin drop to her chest and Derek’s hand rested on her neck before he backed off the bed, allowing Liam to come forward. Theo shifted up behind Lana, letting her lean back on him as Isaac found that one spot on the floor again, hand grasping Scott’s in his.

There wasn’t anything else to do but wait.

*****

Derek, Peter, and Nick stood in the kitchen, huddled around the island as Theo paced the living room. Most the pack had either gone back to sleep or were huddled quietly with each other and while Mason would be someone that might be an asset in the conversation, he was staying well away from the trio congregated in the other room.

“I don’t think it was making it more potent,” Derek whispered, his fists against the counter, arms locked out straight as he gave the resemblance of control, something that Nick could see right through. Derek was shaken, slight tremors in his muscles, tight under his shirt gave it away, but the psychic wolf wasn’t saying a thing. “I think it helped him.”

“What are you talking about?” Nick’s dark green eyes landed on the omega, and Derek shifted, not moving away, or closer, but it was like Nick poked him with a pin, getting him to turn his head in his direction.

“The bond,” Derek sighed. “Obviously, we know what Lana’s blood did to the pack that attacked her, to that alpha, we also  _ think  _ we know what it did to ours.”

“You mean the beady, black eyes thing?” Nick nodded. “Definitely some sort of side effect, but Scott didn’t come out blind or deaf, he certainly didn’t come out dead.”

“Right, which is why I think her blood slowed down the venom as much as it could.”

“You said he woke up after she left,” Peter questioned, crossing an arm around his ribs only to bring the other one up to his lips. “What if it wasn’t necessarily all her blood?”

“You think her howling kept it at bay?” Nick raised a brow, giving Derek a side-eyed shrug.

“Well, what’s the main purpose for a wolf to howl?” Peter shrugged, “calling pack and drawing him out from the darkness might very well be the same thing in this case. So, if she drew on him enough to bring him back, then it’s possible that the venom receded to a point to let them find each other. Once that was done, the bond was sealed, it’s possible that the small amount of her blood that he may have ingested kept it from spreading until it was out of his system.”

“That’s pretty far fetched, don’t you think?” Nick smirked, but crossed his arms, playing the scenario out in his head anyway. “If that’s true then they’ve been bonded a lot longer than we’ve known, and so much deeper.”

“Bonding is not always about the sex, or the bite.” Peter rolled his eyes, and Derek glanced between them. “The problem isn’t going to be what happens when Jonathan comes at us again, it’s going to be how do the rest of us survive if we don’t have that kind of connection.”

“So, you want us all to bite her?” Derek questioned in disbelief.

“Not happening,” Stiles spoke up from the doorway, Theo standing directly behind him. Derek gave him a smirk because of all the supernatural creatures in that house, Stiles and his determination could possibly be the scariest thing he’s ever seen. The deputy stepped forward, eyeing each one for a moment before he landed solely on Peter. “Six years ago, I pulled her out of a pack den that had her chained to a wall, bite marks up and down her arms and legs because some half-crazed alpha thought he could pull her power out through her blood. You know what happened to them? They all died. She…” he pointed up the stairs, “she nearly died, and I will shoot anyone that thinks a repeat of that is a good idea, and I won’t aim for your heart. That bullet will go right between your eyes.”

“Easy, Stiles,” Derek warned, but he saw the exact moment Stiles became terrifying.

He breathed out his nose, stepped right up to Peter, leaving less than a foot between them, and stared him dead in the eyes. “You think because I’m human that I won’t do it?”

Derek sighed as Peter smirked and looked down his nose at the man. “Oh, Stiles, over the years, I’ve come to never underestimate the lengths you will go to defend someone you love.” Peter’s hand rested on the deputy’s shoulder. “I would never suggest something like that. Not when there’s a better way.”

“What are you talking about?” Nick was thoroughly confused, glancing over to Derek, “what’s he talking about?”

“Not a clue.” Derek huffed, and Peter leveled that smirk on his nephew, “if you have a plan, spit it out. Jonathan is out there, and I’m pretty sure, things are about to go very, very far south.”

“It’s magic, a binding spell,” Peter’s eyes landed on the psychic wolf.

“Oh, no!” Theo shook his head, coming forward with his arms crossed to stand right by Stiles. “You’ve never dealt with magic, I have. There are so many things that could go wrong. You have no idea what a spell like that could do to her, or us. You’re talking about binding an entire pack to one person, the one shapeshifter we don’t know enough about to be certain it won’t kill us. Bad idea.”

Peter sighed, eyes landing on each of the men in turn in the room before he settled on Derek. “Then we don’t have much of a choice, we’re going to have to go at this the old fashioned way.”

“Claws and fangs?” Derek grinned.

“Indeed,” Peter scowled.

*****

“Isaac,” Liam groaned, his leg fully asleep, the numb feeling in his lower limb was anything but pleasant, but the weight of the beta whose head rested there was a welcomed anchor, that was until Isaac shifted and the blood started to flow again, turning into that God-awful pins and needle feeling.

A small chuckled from the other side of the room had Liam’s eyes open and focused on the woman standing at the bathroom door. He was lying on the bed, on his side, taking up a small portion of it as Scott stretched out next to him, the lanky wolf had curled along the bottom, anything to keep contact, but Lana was wide awake.

“Theo came in to check on you about an hour ago,” she smirked, lazily, drying her hand on the towel, “you didn’t even flinch when he touched you.”

“I’m exhausted,” Liam growled out, low and whiny. “Hey, why aren’t you sleeping?”

“Side effect of the whole bond, I guess.” she shrugged, moving further into the room. “I can feel everyone, their emotions, and down there, the meeting of the minds is tense.”

“So, you’re not going to sleep?” He sighed, and Lana could tell he just wanted to wrap around her too. She moved to this side of the bed, leaned down and pressed her lips against his forehead, feeling the way he relaxed under her touch.

“Not right now,” the warmth of her breath made him  _ hmmph _ as he closed his eyes, reached a hand up and grabbed her shirt, bunching it in his grasp. “He’ll be fine, you know. You don’t have to stay at his side every moment if you want to go down and eat something.”

“Not hungry,” Liam mumbled just as his stomach growled.

“Mmhm,” Lana backed away, wrapping a hand around the one on her shirt. “Come on.” she pulled him away from the alpha, away from Isaac, who grumbled and fell back to sleep, and gave him a nudge out of the room. The two of them stood at the rail and looked over the members of the pack. “See, you’re not the only one awake.”

“Will you come down with me?” He looked over her profile as she caught Theo’s eyes and quickly glanced back in the room before giving him a nod. Scott wasn’t going anywhere, and Isaac was there should anything happen. Liam ran his tongue quickly along his bottom lip before sucking it in, worrying the flesh there as he held out a hand to her. “You’re not going to offend anyone by holding my hand, this isn’t high school.”

“You know that from experience?” She grinned, slipping her fingers into the warmth of his palm.

“I know a lot of things from experience,” Liam smiled, glancing down at his friend, who’s blue eyes were filled with mirth as he led them down the stairs. “Mostly from the trouble he caused.”

“Can’t see Theo causing trouble,” she stated sarcastically before Liam grinned widely, catching the other beta’s eyes. “He looks so innocent.”

“Looks can be deceiving,” the chimera snorted out as he rested his arms on the banner, “and why are we talking about me?”

“High school,” Liam winked, letting her hand go as he rounded the corner for the kitchen leaving Lana to stand on the last step, eye to eye with Theo.

“Wow, heady topic,” he grinned, which narrowed his blue eyes right at her. “How’s Scott?”

“Sleeping, which is what the rest of you should be doing.” She gently touched his arm, moving her fingers up slowly until they rested on the curve of his neck. “That scared the hell out of me.”

“Me too,” he placed his palm over hers, curling his fingers around he as he rested his chin on his arm. “God, you don’t know how much I just want to take you and run.”

“Like run away?” She flirted, winking as he turned a light shade of pink.

“Just run, whatever way I can get you,” his grin widened, fingers played along her skin, caressing it, but it didn’t feel romantic, not in the way it looked, and both turned to take in the smug, chewing face of Liam as he took another bite of the banana he was eating, completely silent but wide eyes and happy. Theo rolled his eyes. “Say it.”

“Scott’s gonna kill you,” the younger one’s smile turned toothy before he giggled and walked away.

“He has this notion that no matter what I do with you, it’s just going to piss him off,” the beta sighed, but Lana brought her free hand up to run though his hair.

“He won’t kill you,” she pressed her forehead to his, “might maim you, bite off an ear or something, but he definitely won’t kill you.”

“Oh, that makes me feel  _ so _ much better,” he huffed, felt her lips on his forehead as he closed his eyes, taking in her warmth before it disappeared. Theo opened his eyes to watch her walk away, smiling back over her shoulder to make sure he was okay before the beta turned and moved to flop down on the couch beside Liam. “I’m dead.”

“Yeah, you probably are,” his best friend replied, phone in hand. “But think of it this way,” the two pairs of blue eyes met, “at least it’s for a good cause.”

“Were you really going to talk to her about high school?” Theo groaned as Liam gave him a face, one that clearly stated he didn’t know. “Then why bring it up?”

“I don’t know, ease the tension maybe,” Liam’s eyes went back to the screen. “How much are our jobs in jeopardy because of this?”

“You’ll be fine, they have no resources to find another coach as good as you are at lacrosse.” Theo nestled down on the sofa, crossed his arms over his chest and sighed, closing his eyes. He didn’t even notice that his knee and part of his thigh were making contact with Liam, or the way his shoulder bumped him. “I’m just gonna,” he sighed, and let his head lean towards his friend, “close my eyes for a minute.”

“Yeah, okay,” the younger one smiled, knowing that a minute wasn’t nearly long enough for him to get some much needed rest. “I’m not going anywhere.”

*****

Lana leaned against the patio door watching the sunrise. She could feel him behind her, just standing there, waiting, and finally she sighed. “I’m not mad at you.”

“Except that you are,” Derek huffed. “You haven’t even looked at me since Scott, so how should I take that?”

“With a grain of salt.” She turned, seeing the way his green eyes avoided looking right at her for a moment before locking on her. “Derek, I’m not going to be angry that you saved my life. I’m not even remotely surprised that you and I met at all anymore. Things are just too complicated for that.” She crossed her arms, mimicking the way he stood, and raised a brow. “What I don’t get is why you didn’t say anything?”

“I tried,” he shrugged, eyes darting away.

“Well, your method of  _ trying _ , it sucks.” Lana stepped back onto the balcony and felt the moment he followed, sliding the door closed behind him. She made it to the rail before she turned and looked him over. “The sparring, every interaction between the moment we met and now... I know you were hinting, but I don’t do hints well, hell, I don’t do pack emotions well  _ at all _ so whatever you were trying to tell me went right over my head.”

“The nickname,” he let his chin come down, but glanced up at her from under his lashes, “I thought the nickname would get you.”

“I am an alpha,” she shrugged, “and I’m smaller than you. Hell, I’m smaller than  _ all _ of you, so  _ little alpha _ wasn’t much of a hint.”

“Has anyone ever called you that before?” He was digging but there was so much more he wanted to tell her, so much he had found out.

“I try not to show my eyes to anyone.” She crossed her ankles, shaking her head. “I don’t even know why I let it out the night I met Scott in the woods. He wasn’t a threat; I knew because I could smell it. He was just patrolling his land, but I flashed it at him.” She saw the moment he caught her mistake and rolled her eyes, “not that way.”

“Good, because if you were standing there with your shirt up and it took him that long to figure out who you were, might make me go back inside and give him a couple good slaps.” Derek chuckled.

“Remember when we talked about  _ sex and Scott _ ?” She grinned, which only got the smile on his face to widen, “I don’t think your train of thought is on the right track, Hale.”

“Just because I can picture you naked doesn’t mean I want to see you naked.” He groaned, looking away.

“Who’s naked?” Scott’s voice piped up behind him and by some small miracle, Lana could make out the blush on Derek’s cheeks. “Dude, we really need to get you a girlfriend.” Derek took a deep breath, turned to face the alpha, who had a cheeky grin plastered on his face, brown eyes wide with humor as he looked between the two of them, biting on the corner of his lip, and slid the door shut again. “So, I wake up from a poison-induced, knock-out round to find the two of you talking about flashing and being naked. Something I should know?”

“I just… we were just…” Derek stumbled, pointing at Lana, but the woman never said a word, just watched as Scott raised his hand.

“It’s okay, I’ve been out here long enough to know what the conversation was,” he laughed, “I’m just yanking your tail.”

“Speaking of tails,” Lana sighed, feeling the itch under her skin, something that had worsened since Theo mentioned it, like he knew what she needed.

“Running’s dangerous,” Scott whispered, closing the distance as concern took over Derek’s features. The alpha put his hands on her shoulders, running them down until he was holding her fingers and stared into her pale red eyes. “With Jonathan out there, it’s probably the worst plan ever.”

“I’m not going to go,” she felt his forehead touch hers, “but it’s not going to be easy.”

“The shift brings peace,” Derek spoke up, trying to help Scott understand what was going on. “For born wolves, it’s harder to keep our human form in times of stress.”

“Is that what you need? To shift?” She groaned at the tone of his voice. There was a hint of authority under it, a command that she fought to ignore, but it sparked the wolf inside her to respond. Derek’s overly loud huff shook her from it, and she looked at the omega with bright red eyes, a line of sight that Scott followed. “You need someone to spar with.”

“Scott,” Derek closed his eyes for a moment before he shook his head. “She can’t, she’s exhausted.”

“I know,” he seemed to be catching on. Turning back to Lana, he slowly smiled. “I have an idea.”

*****

“Some of us have to go to work,” Mason sighed as he sat on the table by the window just as Liam reached behind him and grabbed the black-out curtain, yanking it down to block out the sun.

“That’s because you work for an overlord,” the beta smirked at his friend and Mason’s mouth dropped open, eyes narrowing at the beta.

“Listen, not everyone one of us can puppy pile for a whole day just to appease an alpha,” he grumbled, hands open with his palms up as Liam leaned his hip on the table beside him. “Besides, there’s that whole matter of what  _ you  _ asked me to do that other day. I’d rather not leave that sitting around the lab.”

The smile fell from his face as Liam glanced back at the group that gathered around the kitchen. “You haven’t told anyone, have you?”

“No, and I’m not going to, you know that, but if it comes out the way I really hope it doesn’t, then you’re going to have to let someone in,” Mason shrugged, but it only brought more worry to the beta. “Liam, this is serious.”

“I know.” He moved quickly around the table and grabbed the last curtain.

“You should at least tell Theo, he’s your anchor.”

Liam paused again, “it’s not going to be that bad.”

“Liam,” Mason got down from the table, grabbed his arm and stopped him quite forcefully, “you were bitten by something we don’t understand, that not nothing to shake off.”

“But it healed,” he sighed, “just like everything else, it healed.”

“Not before you were paralyzed in pain on the night of a full moon.” Mason snapped, trying to get him to see the gravity of the situation. “You don’t ever come to me, so hauling ass to my house when you should be hiding away, not good, bro, not good.”

“Okay, okay!” he huffed out, catching the attention of Theo, who turned his head just a bit to listen in. “I’ll tell Lana and Theo, but don’t say anything else.”

“Fine,” the human grinned, like it was some sort of victory before he patted his friend on the shoulders and grabbed his coat. “I’ll text you as soon as I know anything.”

Liam stood, his gaze locked on the man as he walked out the door, followed closely by Corey, but it was Theo’s presence beside him that made him jump, roll his eyes, and look up at his friend. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“No?” Theo crossed his arms, preparing for a lecture, “is it about the other night? The full moon when you disappeared without a trace for three hours?”

“Can we not?” Liam stepped to the side, reaching for yet another curtain.

“We could, but we won’t because I know you, and something’s bothering the crap out of you, it has been for days, so why not spit it out?” They were the same height, which sucked now because it had taken Liam a long time to get here with the prescriptions he had taken for his I.E.D. diagnosis. He could feel it building up actually. It had been for days, the anger, the need to fight, to lash out, and he had almost done it at the animal clinic when Theo smelled like - his eyes went to Lana as the golden hue in them brightened and he swallowed it back down. “Li?”

“It’s nothing,” he shook off Theo’s touch, blue eyes going back to his again, “I can’t,” he sighed, “I can’t tell you about it here. Come outside with me.”

“Did you have a wet dream again?” Theo teased as he followed the beta out the door, “you know it’s not uncommon at your age to…” but once the door was close, Liam pivoted, pressing the beta against the wall, which shut him up fast enough, and Theo relaxed under the pressure of the arm against his chest. He hadn’t seen Liam this bad in a while. “What happened?”

“Something bit me,” he growled out, “and I’ve been reigning it in for days, but it’s not working anymore.”

“So, Mason...?”

“He took a blood sample, and he’s running it through for analysis,” Liam breathed in through his nose, out through his mouth three times, but the glow brightened, and his claws extended. “It’s not working, none of it is working.”

“Except for being close to them,” the anchor nodded.

“Even with you, it’s fading.” He flexed his fingers trying to pull it back. Theo let the back of his head hit the door before he smirked.

“Then do what you have to,” his eyes glowing bright.

“I’m not going to hit you,” but he wasn’t backing away either. “What if I hurt you?”

“I’ll heal,” the beta whispered, “better me than someone who can’t come back from it.” Those flexing fingers curled into fists, “what do you think it was? A wolf? Maybe Jonathan.” There was a shake under that name, a fear that filled the air with a rancid scent and Liam narrowed his eyes at him. “Think he gave you something? Something like Scott?”

“Scott’s an alpha,” but he could feel the anger growing.

“Yeah, and you’re just a beta,” Theo lowered his voice, giving it an edge that he knew would get the man in front of him going. “What were you going to tell her about high school? Gonna let out the secret about you and me? Gonna tell someone that it was a mistake? Not supposed to happen? You ashamed of our dirty little secret?”

“Shut up!” Liam growled.

Theo had never spoken of the  _ incident _ before, keeping the promise that he made to Liam about erasing it all from memory, but he needed him to shift, to get angry, and that was the only thing he could think of doing, piss him off and let him go at him.

“Remember how it felt running over your hands? The blood, how it smelled?” Theo tensed, waiting for the hit to come as the body pressed against his moved with heaving breaths. “Think about the way she felt under you, still writhing, still moving to run away. Felt good, didn’t it, being the master, being the ultimate predator.”

“Just because we’re predators…”

“Doesn’t make us murderers,” Theo smirked, “yeah, I know that one.” He leaned forward, inches from Liam’s forehead, “doesn’t mean you’re not a killer.”

The younger beta roared, his free hand clenching, itching to come up and connect with the beta locked under his arm. The hits were solid, painful and Theo closed his eyes, not fighting back, no matter how much he wanted to. Liam needed this, needed an out, and the memory of the deer he had torn apart on a not so controlled moon was just a means to an end.

Theo felt the moment that Scott and Lana stepped out, followed closely by Derek, the pain had faded a long time ago, and only the way that Liam’s fists felt connecting with his body registered.

“It’s okay,” he sighed, when there was a pause in the punches, “you don’t have to stop.”

“Are you out of your fucking mind?” Stiles snapped, as Liam was ripped away from him and he let himself slowly sink to the ground. “He’s about ready to take your damn head off, of course he has to stop.” The human’s hands were on his cheeks, gently turning his head to the side. “I thought we talked about this, Raeken, about you stopping with the self-abuse?”

“He needed it,” Theo barely choked out, coughing up blood in the process.

“Great that you think that, but what about after, when he calms down, when he sees the way your face looks.” Stiles had become his Jiminy Cricket, much to his surprise, a few years after high school, taken it upon himself to stop the chimera from doing pretty much every stupid thing he could come up with, but he still managed to sneak one past Stiles every now and again. Liam growled, not angry, but protective, like Stiles was touching what was his. “HEY! Lock it down, buddy, and go cool off.”

Theo could hear Derek grumbling to the beta, scolding him but Stiles never let him go. “I’m okay.”

“Bullshit you are,” he huffed, sitting down beside him. “What possessed you to let him do that? And you did  _ let _ him, there’s not a defensive wound on him, so spit it out.”

Theo could feel the bones in his cheek mending, the sore spots on his ribs slowly stopped throbbing and he opened his eyes to see Lana by the railing, letting Stiles keep the peace. Scott had gone in to check on the beta, but it was her eyes he fixated on.

“Liam got bit,” he sighed out, blinking away the sudden exhaustion. “The full moon night, he said he was bitten by something that ramped his anger up, he needed an out.”

“You’re not his punching bag, Theo, you’re his friend.” Stiles took hold of his hair and used it to tilt his head back, getting those blue eyes to settle on him. “You should have said something.”

“I just found out,” he wanted to move, to get off the ground, but his limbs were heavy and uncooperative, “he thought he might hurt her, or you.”

“No,” the deputy narrowed his gaze, “ _ you _ thought he might, it’s the only reason you would antagonize him into this.”

“It doesn’t matter,” he looked away from both of them, “it’s done.”

“Damn right, it is.” Stiles stood, hooked his hands under Theo’s arms and lifted him to his feet. “Now we just got to get you cleaned up and figure out what to do with you.”

“Nap would be great,” he smirked, sarcastically.

“Yeah, probably the best idea you’ve had all night.”

Lana watched the two of them move through the door, her eyes focusing on the blood spatter that coated the wall. She bit down on her lip, turned towards the field, and narrowed her vision on the edge of the woods. There was nothing, no heat signature, no scent, but the feeling under the surface told her whatever was out there was watching.

*****

Lana moved between them, probably not the best idea since Liam started clinging to Theo as soon as Derek had set him free, but she felt she needed to be there at that moment. Scott didn’t even blink when she shifted her body to face Liam, putting her back to the chimera, who only cuddled in closer, nose to her neck and arm over her waist, but the moment Liam reached out, deep enough into his slumber to make it an automatic reaction, Scott whined.

She glanced up at him, at the way he lounged on the chair, legs stretched out, hand up so that he could lean his head on it, but it was the look on his face, longing maybe, definitely something that  _ wasn’t  _ jealousy that got her.

“You can come down here,” she whispered, reaching a hand up but Scott gave a small shake of his head, just watching. “Not tired?”

“I feel like I’ve slept forever,” his voice was low, trying not to disturb the bodies on the floor. Isaac was on the other couch, reading a book as Stiles, Malia, and Lydia took over the kitchen, feeding Allison, “but you need something, so close your eyes and let them hold you.”

“You’re bossy for an alpha,” she sighed, her eyes going up to the balcony where Derek and Peter stood guard, but upon eye contact, she went back to Scott. “Eat.”

“I will,” he shrugged, “just waiting for you to close your eyes.”

“Whatever,” she laughed, ducked her head down to rub her nose in Liam’s hair and let the weight of slumber take her over.

*****

The smell that filled the room was acidic, smokey, causing it to become hard to breathe. 

Lana opened her eyes, fought against the blur and darkness that wanted to consume her and pushed up to her hands. Theo lay unconscious beside her in a position that screamed he had tried to fight it. Liam was up on his feet, crouched down, battling through the cough as the smoke weakened him and she could see the moment his eyes rolled, and his body fell.

The sound of fighting came from the kitchen, and the wail of a child followed as Lydia screamed, a force that pushed away whoever tried to attack her and her offspring. A gun fired twice, and Lana’s red eyes fought to find the heat signatures in the room. There were multiple that she didn’t recognize, but the ones she did weren’t in good shape.

Derek was on the balcony with three men, two with blades, one with just his fists. Peter was positioned under him on the main floor, arms back and claws ready to strike as he bared his fangs, but it was the patio that got her to move. Scott was out there, full shift, standing off against Jonathan, and she could clearly see it was him from the strange blue signature, he wasn’t warm like the wolves, he was cold-blooded, and the tail might have been a dead giveaway.

Lana pushed up, held her breath even as it stung and made her way towards the broken glass door as gunshots rang out again, this time from a service revolver.  _ Stiles _ . There were muffled cries of  _ go, go, go _ and hushed footsteps leading further into the building. Stiles was headed towards the basement.

She turned to focus her eyes in the dark. There were two missing. She had seen each and everybody in the building except two, and she opened the line of communication with her beta.

_ “Where the hell are you, Nick?” _ It tingled against the synapse in her mind but while she didn’t hear a response, she felt one and her eyes went back to the balcony once more. Isaac had been asleep in the upstairs room, there was no other reason for Derek to be on the second floor if Lydia and Allison were in the kitchen,  _ except _ Isaac. It only made sense that Nick was there too.  _ “Get out! Get out of the house!” _

The muffled sounds of breaking glass filled her ears and she knew that he had listened, climbing out the window on the second floor. The lack of verbal answer bothered her, but the blood that she saw running down Scott’s cheek sent her anger soaring. She crouched on the floor, one hand in front of the other, read to spring and she let the wolf out.

The roar shook the house to its foundation, bringing the two men behind her back to consciousness, but it was the way Scott and Jonathan turned their heads to look at her, that had her lips baring fangs in a devilish grin.

Lana charged, using her full body weight and the tools she had learned on the run to her advantage when she hit the symbiote in front of her at full speed. She let her body turn to lead, every muscle tensing as she hit, becoming immovable like a solid concrete wall, and felt the moment the railing gave way.

Jonathan turned against her, sinking his claws deep into her shoulders as they toppled down the small knoll ten-feet out from the rail. She could hear Scott’s howl, the way the wolves gathered and the fighting in the house ceased, but she needed to get him away from there. Shifting on her feet when Jonathan let go, she shook off the venom, felt everything in her moving, and suddenly all she saw was red.

The night vision of the wolf wasn’t anything new, but the feral need for carnage was. She faced off against him, this whatever-it-was in front of her and she just wanted to rip it apart. Jonathan swung first and that was all it took. The woman, completely in werewolf form, slashed out her claws, slicing across his stomach, catching the soft tissue of his belly before his tail swung around, the stinger plunging deep into her upper arm.

*****

Scott barely got to his feet, screaming out the pain as the shredded muscles in his thigh stitched itself back together, but his eyes were on the fighting pair now edging towards the far side of the field. His breath came out in ragged huffs, a product of the rib that was adjusting back into place as the pierced lung filled once more.

There were hands on his shoulders, steadying him, but he couldn’t tell who it was, only that they were unwanted. He needed to get out there, to get to her and take care of the threat. It was in his blood to do so, but he couldn’t seem to move yet, at least not off the porch. A voice invaded his scenes, drawing him back to the house and he turned his head just enough to see Derek’s bright blue eyes staring directly into his.

“... Have to go!” came through loud and clear as Derek yelled at him, the orange flicker of flames highlighted his features as the two focused on the fire that blazed in the kitchen. Theo was helping Liam off the mat. Out front, when he focused, he could hear Isaac wheezing and Nick growling out under his breath. Derek grabbed him by the front of the shirt. “Now! Scott, we have to go now!”

Letting Derek tow him around the front of the house, Scott allowed the nearness of the pack settle his nerves, but that was when he noticed he was a few short.

“Stiles?” slipped from his lips as he placed his hands on his thighs and caught his breath.

“Safe with Allison and Lydia.” Derek patted him gently on the shoulder, “Malia got them out. Mason and Corey are on their way here now to help track Lana.” Theo dropped to the ground as he burst out the front door, Liam right behind him, finding a spot on the dirt as they both hacked up the smoke from their lungs. 

“Peter?” Nick spoke up, getting a few odd looks from him bothering to ask but the omega responded as if waiting to hear his name.

“Here,” he was dirty, covered in ash, and looked extremely pissed off. “There goes another house to a  _ Goddamned _ FIRE!” His voice echoed as he snarled, not at anyone, just generally mad. It was when he stepped up beside Nick, grabbed the other man’s chin between his fingers and to check him over that the stares all around became questioning. “And you owe me a window for that little theatrical escape.”

“Bill me,” Nick winked, and  _ oh, my God, could they not _ was the only thing written on Isaac’s face when Scott looked at the younger beta, but Nick’s attention was turning back to the alpha. “She can't sustain that form for long, it will burn through too much energy, and while the wolf inside her is immensely strong…”

“I know,” Scott growled, all looking up at the sound of sirens filled the night. “We need to get out of here before we’re stuck answering questions.”

“Yeah, like who the bodies in the house belong to?” Liam barked out sarcastically, which only got Theo to roll his eyes as he pulled the man up and back against his chest. It was more to hear the sound of his lungs than anything, but the validation that Liam was alive and well didn’t hurt either.

“Theo and I can track her,” Derek eyed the chimera. “Our forms are faster, and more sensitive to scents and echo waves.”

“We’ll follow behind,” Nick nodded, shaking off Peter’s strangely affectionate touch. “I can’t seem to get to her through the bond, not when she’s like this and so far away, but it should be easy to track the two of you with it.”

Theo slipped out from behind Liam, glanced down at him as he stood, and walked over to Scott without a word, but the look in the alpha’s eyes told the beta all he needed to know, so there weren’t any words exchanged, just a brief nod of his head before Theo disappeared around the corner. Derek placed his hand gently down on Scott’s shoulder, gave it a squeeze and followed.

Liam got to his feet, moved swiftly to the edge of the patio, and watched nervously as the two wolves disappeared into the darkness.

“They’ll be okay,” Scott whispered in his direction, getting only a shrug of indifference as a reply. “Alright, let’s get this show on the road. If anything, at least we know where this is headed.”

“The Nemeton,” Isaac whispered softly as the rest of them moved to stand by Liam.

With one more glance at Peter, Scott gave a curt nod, watched the man cross his arms and smirk before they set off into the woods.

*****

Stiles slammed the guns down on the kitchen table, ignoring the glares he was getting from both Malia and his wife as he loaded each weapon without so much as a glance back, at least until he felt her hand on his arm.

“You don’t have to do this,” Lydia whispered.

“I do,” he nodded. “She’s my responsibility, Morrell gave her to me to protect.”

“She’s a grown woman,” Malia snapped behind him, “not to mention an alpha and currently probably a full blown werewolf.”

“That doesn’t matter, okay,” he barked, turning to face her. “She’s pack, she’s…” He ran his hand along his forehead and sighed, “I felt it.”

“You felt what?” Lydia’s voice was softly, almost cajoling as she pressed closer to him. Stiles fidgeted in place, hands on his hips as he tightened his jaw. “Stiles?”

“The bond,” he yelped out, dropping his chin to his chest, “I felt their bond when it happened.” This didn’t really surprise his wife, but it did get Malia to step back. “I thought it was just the effects of being so close to Turret, but I knew... I knew it the second they sealed it.”

“But you’re not a werewolf,” Malia seemed confused, saying this more to herself than anything.

“But you are something,” Lydia smiled. “Deaton said you had a spark in you, maybe that’s what it was, that connection makes you part of the pack, a large enough part that when the bond happened, you felt it.”

“Lana said the same thing,” Stiles mumbled, slipping around to play with the guns, giving his hands something to do. “She said not many humans can be anchors for true alphas, that it took someone special.” He looked up, hands fidgeting to find something to hold, but he relented and stuffed them in the pockets of his hoodie. “I’m not special, Lyds but I know she needs me, I know Scott needs me. I have to find them.”

“Fine,” the banshee answered, placing a hand gently on his face. “We all know where this is headed, but you have to promise me, Stiles, you have to promise that you’ll be as safe as you can.”

He closed his eyes at her touch, leaning into it. “I promise,” he breathed out, “of course, I promise. Besides, this is Scott, he’ll probably have it all sorted by the time I get there.”

“We can hope,” Malia mumbled in the background.

There was a knock on the door, one that distracted them all from the conversation and Stiles stepped away, holding a hand up to make sure the women stayed put as he pulled out his service revolver, flicked the safety off and headed for the main entrance of the house.

With a deep breath in, he glanced through the peephole before grabbing the handle, stashing the gun, and swinging the door wide. Stiles smiled, relief filling every part of him as he stared at the man before him.

“Dad!” 

And before he knew what was happening, he was yanked into a tight embrace.

*****

Lana felt the moment the fight shifted, both bloodied and torn, but strong and resilient. She lashed out, catching Jonathan by the back of his neck, and the claws dug deep. Both stopped in stunned silence before she yanked free. She didn’t need to see his memories, she didn’t want to know what he had done but whatever was going on, it put him on the ground.

Lana roared over him, not like a lion, but more like a scream mixed with the wolf, and slowly she reverted back to her beta form, eyes blood red, fangs bared as she stood at the ready.

“Why are you doing this?” She growled out, watching as he rolled onto his back to stare up at her, face half-kanima, half-human.

“Because I can, dear sister,” he smirked. “You’re the last of it, the last thing from my past that I need to get rid of.”

“So, this is one of those  _ erase your sins _ deals?” Lana sighed. “You don’t have to kill me to forget about me, you just have to go away.”

“Not likely to happen,” he slowly pushed to his knees, eyes glowing a bright yellow. “I was supposed to be alpha.”

“Oh, here we go again,” she rolled her eyes in annoyance, “I never wanted to be, so you can have it, I’ll give it to you.”

“It’s not that simple,” he snickered, like this was the biggest joke in the world. “Your wolf won’t just turn over and die for me, she’s hundreds of years old.”

“She’s part of me, but I’m in control.” Lana crouched down, looking her brother in the eye. “What made you this way? What changed you when you were so young?”

He narrowed his eyes at her, claws digging into the dirt and leaves, fangs dropping as he let the sadistic smile play on his lips. “You.”

And with that he attacked.


	13. Episode Thirteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is it. This is the end.

Episode 1x13

Derek shifted, standing straight as he looked around the wooded area. Behind him, Theo silently transformed, nose to the air, both as still as the dead. Derek closed his eyes, focusing on the sounds around him and turned slightly to the left.

“They went that way.” He never bothered to see where the younger wolf was, he could feel the way the echo waves flowed over him from behind.

“There’s something besides blood in the air too.” Theo moved up beside him. “Venom, maybe?”

“Maybe,” Derek sighed. They wouldn’t know anything until they caught up, and with how fast the two symbiotes were moving, they may never achieve that. “Mark the tree, let Scott follow our scents.”

“I’m not peeing on a tree, Derek,” Theo whispered, offended.

Derek rolled his eyes, walked up to the closest one and rubbed his shoulder hard against it, drawing just the slightest amount of blood.

“There’s more than one way to mark something. Pissing on it is just the strongest.” Theo rolled his eyes as Derek smirked at him before he shifted, waiting on the omega. “Fine, let’s go.”

Once in wolf form, the two trotted off through the thick underbrush until they were able to sprint through the trees.

*****

Peter watched from the edge of the drive as the fire was brought under control. So far they were able to contain it to the living room and upstairs bedroom where Nick and Isaac had been, but that still didn’t bode well for his library.

He was frustrated, angry, and set to kill, having nearly lost everything to the same stupid element twice was getting on his nerves, and left to his own devices, he would have probably said that was a mistake on the pack’s part, but just as he turned, he spotted the blue death-trap Stiles called a Jeep pulling up the drive.

Stiles stepped out, followed by Noah on the passenger’s side and Malia, who climbed out from behind Stiles. Peter crossed his arms, turned his shoulder to them, pretending to focus on the water that cascaded down on his house before he glanced over his shoulder again at the approaching human.

“It’s about time you showed up,” he smirked, though his tone was more or less yelling “ _ I’m a complete asshole, but you love me anyway _ ,” which made Stiles roll his eyes.

“Yeah, well, one of us had to actually get backup,” the man replied with a snarkiness that had Peter grinning.

“At least you kept my daughter safe.” Peter turned to fully face the group. “The rest of them have gone after Lana and Jonathan.”

“Wait, what happened to Lana?” Noah demanded.

“Well, ten to one, she went all Big Bad Wolf and decided to take him on alone, which never works out in anyone’s favor,” Stiles sighed, “and the others are trying to track her.”

“Derek and Theo took the lead, the other four are following behind but Turret brought up a valid point.’ Peter sighed, his eyes on the ground, but not really focused there before he made eye contact with Stiles. “She’s not going to be able to hold that form for very long.”

“What form?” His dad was so out of the loop it wasn’t funny, even with Stiles explaining everything that had happened the last few weeks. “You’re talking about an actual werewolf form, aren’t you? Like right out of Silver Bullet?”

“Try Rise of the Lycans,” Stiles suggested, “it’s a more accurate take on it.”

“Who?” Peter questioned. Stiles looked as if the wolf had reached out and slapped him.

“Underworld? You know the whole vampire versus werewolf series with Lucian?” Malia raised a brow as Peter rolled his eyes. “Oh, come on, Kate Beckinsale? Selene? Lots of leather?” He glanced at each one, at the lack of recognition, and threw his hands in the air. “Alright, fine, but when this is done we’re doing a marathon.” He stepped away headed right towards the firefighters, mumbling. “How could you possibly go through life without seeing Kate in leather? It’s tragic.”

Peter shook his head. Having a front row seat to Stiles’ mumbled musings had grown on him over the years, but since the human had a special place in his cold, dead heart anyway, it was enough to make him smile. The omega met Noah’s glare before he cleared his throat and stood straighter.

“I suggest we move towards the Nemeton,” was the only thing he could think of saying.

“Good idea.” Noah turned, annoyed, and headed towards the Jeep with Malia on his tail.

Peter took a deep breath. There was something about dealing with the pack parents that always felt weird to him. He had grown accustomed to being able to handle it, but Noah Stilinski and Melissa McCall were just two of the scariest humans he had ever met, dark alleys and Argents be damned.

*****

Scott stopped, leaned in to scent the tree that Derek had bled against and closed his eyes, turning his focus to Lana, stretching out his senses to try and pinpoint her. Isaac moved quietly ahead, the only one of them that could do so in near silence, but he wasn’t alone, Nick tracked his moments with his mind, keeping him as close as possible if only through that connection.

Liam was the one that Scott worried about. The beta paced, the itch under his skin, the lack of control, and the anger from the mysterious bite had him on edge. Having Theo so far away didn’t help at all, but the running seemed to tame it just a bit. He moved up near Scott, scented the tree, and then backed away.

“It’s Derek,” he whispered and looked around for a moment. “Where’s Theo?”

“Hey, Liam,” Scott approached him slowly, reaching out a hand to grab him by the shoulder, steady him. When he had the beta’s attention, he noticed the barely-there red tint along the edge of his iris. “Do me a favor, close your eyes.” Liam rolled his. “Just do it. I promise, it will help.” Liam let out a breath, let his lips flutter closed, and relaxed. “Now, breathe in slowly.” Scott watched his chest expand. “Feel that? Those emotions, the signals just under the surface of yours, you know them.”

“They’re his,” Liam nodded, the sound of his voice was washed with relief, and his fists slowly unclenched.

“Yeah, see, he’s fine. Derek’s got him. They’re protecting each other.” Scott placed his free hand against Liam’s neck. “I know that you and Theo are bonded, but you have to know the rest of us won’t ever let anything happen to him, ever.”

Liam let it all out slowly, opening his eyes to look at his alpha. “I know, it’s just sometimes the fear gets to be too much, and I can’t stop it.”

“You don’t have to stop it, you just have to control it, focus it.” Scott waited, giving him a second to let those words sink in and suddenly, Liam was looking towards the left. “You feel him, don’t you?”

“Yeah,” he gave a nod with that too, but didn’t move. “And Lana.”

“Okay, that’s the way we go then.” Scott released him, stepped back, and gestured for the beta to take the lead. Isaac stepped out of the bush, waited for Scott to make the next move, following the beta before he and Nick took off after them.

*****

Lana leaned against a tree, having shifted into her beta form, a clawed hand resting against an open wound on her stomach. Across the small clearing, Jonathan sat with one knee pulled up, a gash on his forehead opened and bleeding, but he struggled to catch his breath as he looked over the claw marks on his arms.

“You surprise me,” Jonathan smirked, like now was the best time for a brother/sister chat. “I didn’t think you had it in me to nearly kill me not once, but three times. Too bad you’re not going to be able to finish what you started.”

“I don’t have to finish it,” Lana sighed, her lids dropping shut, but her instincts and senses were on high alert, “I just have to get close enough.”

“You think your little pack is going to be able to defeat me if I take you out?” He laughed but didn’t bother moving. “I know you’re mated to that alpha, but do you know what that means for your betas? It means death if I kill you, death to him, madness and destruction that will ultimately lead to their death for them.”

“You can stop now; I know the mythology.” Lana took her hand from the wounds, focused on them, feeling the slow way they stitched together, and she leaned her head back on the tree. She could feel Scott through the bond, Nick, and Theo, even Peter, but she couldn’t reach any of them. “It doesn’t matter,” she huffed, trying hard to catch her breath, “I don’t intend on dying so you can prove your point.”

“We’ll see, sister, we’ll see.” He thought he was catching her off-guard, unprotected, but the moment he lunged at her from the ground, she was ready. The shift was instantaneous, and she roared with the full power of the mythological beast she became.

*****

Theo and Derek halted in their tracks, nose to the sky as they howled an answer in return to her cry out. She wasn’t just threatening Jonathan. She was calling her pack. The two wolves spared a glance to one another before bolting off into the woods.

*****

Scott growled at the sound, but turned towards it and answered with his own, the three betas behind him following suit before they ran off in the direction of the noise.

*****

Stiles slammed on the breaks. The sound in his ear echoed through every fiber of his being and he couldn’t help but press his hands to his ears to block it out, but he wasn’t the only one. Peter sat in the back, eyes wide and bright omega blue, staring out into the woods, a look of shock and panic on his face.

Peter reached forward, not taking his eyes off the land and patted Stiles relentlessly on the shoulder.

“We have to go,” he mumbled, but then brought it up a notch. “Stiles, we have to go.” The human nodded, put the car in gear again and stomped on the gas. “Faster.”

“What the hell is it with you wolves and being so damn demanding.” He fired back but he could see actual panic in Peter’s eyes.

“They’re at the Nemeton,” he whispered, eyes meeting Stiles in the mirror, “and the others aren’t there yet.”

“Right.” Stiles floored it, the jeep surged forward, moving without hesitation through the trees and down the open dirt path through the reserve.

*****

The sky seemed dark, as if the sun never rose, or like the fight went on forever, but there wasn’t a speck of warmth in the air. It was fall in the hills of California, but this was like winter back home in the east. There was a cool rush of wind, and Lana shivered from the sweat that coated her fur-lined torso.

She walked on two legs, clawed paws hitting the ground beneath her as her heat vision locked onto the cool body of her brother, who didn’t resemble a human any more than she did. He was on all fours, bulbous tail swishing with quick flicks at the end, ready to attack, but she only kept her stance. He was waiting for something.

The loud pitch of an emitter hit her ears, and she growled at the pain it caused, but it didn’t stop her from moving forward. Jonathan had always been a cheat, and this didn’t surprise her at all. From all directions, the noise became a constant bombardment of pain, until she was standing in the middle of a clearing, her hands… human hands over her ears.

Lana fell to the ground, the pain in her knees from the forest floor was still nothing compared to the way it vibrated through her head. She found herself looking up at him, palms to the ground as her eyes glowed a deep red. Jonathan was smiling in his creepy reptilian form, and stalked closer, slowly shifting.

He crouched down in front of her, slowly went to his hands and knees and moved within a foot of her, locking stares.

“Never thought a dog whistle would be the thing that brought you down.” His tone was condescending, and Lana chuckled, spitting the gathering blood from her mouth.

“You’re a fucking asshole,” she growled out, trying to catch her breath. “Who’s doing that? Mercenaries?”

“You know I’m not beyond that but no, even better,” He slowly stood, and Lana watched the shadows that moved from the trees. Men and women with guns, all pointed at her. She sat back on her heels, eyes scanning them over as the small, red pinpoints of light all focused on her heart. “They’re what’s left of our pack, our family.”

“So, you teamed up with Mallory after all?” Lana nodded, “I should have figured.”

“Oh, no, dear sister,” he slipped on the shorts that he was handed, like nudity was the topic of conversation, but there she sat naked as the day she was born. “Neither of us have to worry about Mallory anymore. How do you think I got these pretty red eyes?”

Lana was dumbfounded. She knew he hadn’t bonded with an alpha spirit like her own, but she never thought… “You killed her?”

“Killed is such a loose term,” Jonathan smirked, “more like I  _ annihilated _ her.” She swallowed back the bile in her throat. She had seen his work, the way he could decimate a body and the images that came forth were anything but pleasant. “In her defense, the old bat put up a good fight, but it was her time.”

Lana dropped her chin to her chest and closed her eyes, sent out her thoughts, following the imaginary strings to the pack, to each strong heart and she prayed that they stayed back. She felt each one, the way they thumped, raced, pushed forward all in an effort to get to her. The moment she felt that first pull along the line, she felt the power within her flare.

_ An alpha is only as strong as it’s pack. The stronger the pack, the stronger the alpha, and vice versa.  _ Derek had whispered that to her during their sparring, something he felt the need to let her know. She had been an omega for so long, a packless wolf without a home. He told her he had tried to create one once, but it failed… failed where she had succeeded and all she did was let them in.

But Jonathan didn’t have a pack. There were no wolves in these woods besides her own. Whatever  _ family  _ he had taken from their grandmother, they weren’t like hers. They didn’t make him stronger, they tied him down. What was left of their family were humans with guns, and guns she could handle,  _ humans _ she could deal with.

Lana felt the shift, the way her fangs descended, the red haze of her alpha eyes, and her claws dug at the dirt below her before she raised her head and growled at the thing that stood in front of her, not a man, not anymore, but a monster.

“If it’s a fight you want,  _ brother _ ,” she snarled, placing as much hate as she could into that last word. “Then come at me.”

*****

Scott stopped in his tracks. The sounds that resonated from up ahead were violent and left nothing to the imagination. Lana and Jonathan were tearing each other apart, but it was the small click of a round being chambered that truly caught his attention. He closed his eyes, focused on her, and found himself floating.

He knew what this was, the term Stiles used when it first happened was  _ astral projection _ , something he had become familiar with when he accessed memories from other people. He had learned it from Peter and Derek, claws in the back of the neck, tapping into the person’s central nervous system, but he had perfected it over the years.

He had managed to do it with touch alone, Derek called it  _ echo waves on steroids _ , which just meant that Scott could form the pattern of his senses to create images and follow them through. Before he passed, Alan Deaton said it was some sort of true alpha thing, but Lydia just thought it was a Scott thing, because he had many.

He let his body take over, noticed the strange red strings attached to his heart and those of the pack that he traveled with, but they weren’t actual strings, more like cords. It reminded him of Stiles’ crime boards back in high school, and he knew where that central point would be. He followed it, zooming through the woods without even a moment’s hesitation until he found himself standing in the clearing of the Nemeton.

The tree trunk itself looked smaller, standing just about two feet in height, but it had degraded, cracks and dried spots covered it. There were no green areas surrounding it. Essentially, it looked dead, but Scott could feel that hum, the one that had grown more powerful over the last few days, since Lana arrived, and as he moved closer, he could see the pulse.

There was one thing odder than the red glow from the broken rings of the tree. It was the one red string that connected to it. This one was thick, like someone had taken the packs’ and braided them all together then roped it around a root, not thin like the individual ones. He stopped by the tree, not more than a foot away, and crouched down.

Reaching out, he leaned in, placed his ear near the rope, and touched it gently. He could hear her suddenly, feel her, everything she had ever thought or experienced filled his body and Scott drew in a quick breath. His eyes flashed open, bright red and full of wonder, before plucking the string and let his power course along it.

He heard the howl, a pack call. There was not only sound this time, but the vibration that he had felt only once before, something so powerful that it had woken him, drawn him into the kitchen and put him on edge because while she wasn’t in any danger, she wasn’t beside him either.

Scott stood, growled, and took off, following the line.

The landscape faded, his eyes opened once more and he found himself back in his body, the three wolves beside him were ready to fight and he wasn’t going to deny them that. Not this time.

Scott glanced at each one, nodded, and took off in the direction of the sound.

*****

Derek slowed; the distinct sounds of the fight bounced off every tree. Theo whined, nearly prancing in place as he waited for the signal, but it was the howl that had them both still completely. There was something wrong with it, and even along the vibration, the  _ pack call _ , Derek could feel it.

He growled, and bolted, the chimera wolf right beside him.

They crossed the threshold of the clearing, eyes focused on the dozen heat signatures that surrounded the feuding symbiotes like they were watching a prized fight. Without pause, Derek leapt, jumping on the back of the closest one. Theo followed suit, but they weren’t alone. In the opposite direction, four other wolves joined the fight.

*****

Stiles jumped from the Jeep, gun in hand as Noah, Peter and Malia did the same but the Stiles suppressed the urge to call out when Peter only flashed a pair of blue eyes at him before disappearing into the woods. Malia contemplated for a moment, going from Stiles to the direction that Peter took on in. He gave her a nod, he couldn’t hold her back, and before he could blink, the only thing she left in her wake was the swishing of branches.

“You really think that was a good idea?” Noah questioned, grabbing another gun from the back of the vehicle.

“It’s in their blood, Dad, besides, the feeling along the line isn’t a good one. Hell, it’s got me on edge.” Noah watched Stiles for a moment. The kid’s “on edge” seemed to be oddly quiet, not like his usually constant movement and this had Noah curious. “Stop staring at me, Dad, I’m not going to wolf out.”

“No, but you’re not antsy either, so what do you mean  _ on edge _ ?” Maybe he was a little concerned about it because a calm Stiles wasn’t a good thing. “I’m trying to understand this whole pack thing.”

“Lana, she…” He took a breath, packed a few more mags into his belt and shrugged, “she calms me, even more so since her and Scott mated.” And that didn’t sound weird coming out of his mouth at all. “I’m grounded, for the first time in forever, I’m focused without the use of drugs.”

“Okay,” Noah nodded, not that he understood at all. “Well, then let’s go save your friends.”

Stiles couldn’t have agreed more.

****

Stiles set the sight, focused the crosshairs on Jonathan but the pair didn’t stay still enough for him to get a good shot. He grumbled under his breath, dropped the rifle, and drew the sidearm, Noah tried to grab his arm, but there was nothing stopping the man when he thought his friends were in danger.

Every wolf was on his own target, but not every target was covered and that didn’t sit well with Stiles at all. He aimed and fired at the ones with the guns locked at his friends, his pack, taking one down, drawing fire from the other.

Lana could see him out of the corner of her eyes, the one pack member who shouldn’t be in the midst of a supernatural fight but there he was, walking straight through the middle of the war, arm raised, gun blasting. She turned her attention fully on her brother, the kanima mess was staring at her with bright orange eyes.

“See how they die for you,” he snickered, even in this form, hissing out each word. “What’s an alpha without a pack?”

“Something you know a lot about,” she snarled and swung, her claws digging deep just as the stinger on his bulbous tail hit home. Her body was starting to lose against the toxin, she was ramped too high, and she had too much of it in her system. She faltered and fell as the feeling in her right leg was lost.

From behind her, she heard the sound of a voice, deep and angry. “NO!  _ Lana _ .”

Scott.

Jonathan’s legs buckled, the kanima came down to her level, lips spread wide to show the rows of pointed teeth, but his tail barely swung. The damage done by her claws wasn’t healing on him either, but that didn’t mean he was bowing out. He moved to attack, to hold her down, as she felt her head hit the ground.

Gunshots rang out, and Lana heard the sound of breath leaving lungs. She rolled over, to hell with her brother because she could feel each bullet along the line. Scott’s body bucked, the same way Theo’s had when she watched him get shot right outside the hotel room, but he didn’t go down. Scott stayed on his feet, even as bullets tore through him. He felt to his knees beside her, eyes wide, red, and focused on Jonathan.

“Oh, you missed all the fun, alpha,” the kanima symbiote smiled. “I guess it doesn’t matter now, does it.” He coughed black blood and sat back on his knees. “She’s not going to make it.”

Lana forced herself to look down. With no feeling in her legs, she hadn’t noticed the moment his stinger entered her, but there it was still pumping venom into her. Lethal doses of both a paralytic agent and scorpion venom raced through her body, halting the healing of her own wolf powers.

“She’s stronger than you think.” Scott grinned, but it was full of hatred. “It’s you that’s not going to see the light of the next moon.”

“I wouldn’t be too sure of that,” Jonathan laughed.

“I would.” Stiles spoke up from behind him, just as the sound of the click of a slide echoed through the night. The kanima turned, eyes focused on the human, before Stiles, covered in blood from his own injuries, pulled the trigger.

It ricocheted through the night, the sound of that one bullet leaving the chamber, of gunpowder igniting, and then there was nothing.

Lana watched the next move in slow motion. Theo stepped up quickly, the mystery of where he had grabbed the machete from at that exact moment was a barely-there thought in her mind, and he swung. The motion of it through the air caused a whooshing noise that filled the night so completely that any other was lost. The speed in which it tore through muscle and bone was so fast that Lana didn’t even have time to register it when Jonathan’s head left his body.

She closed his eyes, feeling the weight leave her, but still not feeling her legs. There was something inside her, something racing upwards and she thought back to a time when she was a little girl, eager to run, restless with the night. Her mother had taught her how to relax.

_ Imagine your toes getting heavy, your foot, your calf. Imagine your fingers growing still, your hand, your arm. Now relax, let that feeling weigh you down, let it take over. Let your body float. Do you feel it? _

“Yes, momma,” Lana whispered, with the sudden feeling of hands on her face.

“Lana, come on, open your eyes.” Liam’s voice, she would know it anywhere.

“Scott!” Stiles, to her left and above her. In her ears, she heard the sound of his heart, a loud thump, two… three… skip, but it took longer to come back with each rhythmic beat. “Peter! The wolfsbane… it’s spreading too fast.”

“It has to be mixed with something.” Peter was flustered, well, that was new.

Lana couldn’t feel below her waist, now her arms, couldn’t move her fingers.

“Hey,” Theo’s soft words against her ear, “come on, sweetheart, you gotta open your eyes. Look, Derek’s here.”

“Come on, little alpha, stay with me.” Derek didn’t sound like Derek… he sounded… Sad. Why was Derek sad?

The tingle in her mind told her that Nick was close, but he didn’t say anything, he just held the connection open, let her mind take her anywhere but the strange feeling of floating. Behind her, Scott coughed, Stiles panicked.

“Do something!” he snapped, and Peter growled, but kept trying.

“Nem…” Lana managed to whisper; the rest of the word was just the movement of her lips.

“What did she say?” Stiles caught it; the rest of the wolves were in too much of a frenzy to listen.

“Neme…” she tried again. She felt human hands on her face, human because of the smell, but they weren’t Stiles. They smelled older, more like gunpowder. Lana huffed. “Take…”

“Lana, it’s Noah, say it again.” It wasn’t a question; it was an order.

She drew in a deep breath, but even that was hard because she couldn’t feel her chest, didn’t even know it expanded. “Take us,” she paused, trying to breathe again, what little was left of her vision focused on his face, his eyes, “to the Nemeton.”

The world outside faded; the frantic voices all disappeared. She barely felt the way it shifted as she was lifted off the ground. Her hearing muted down to the one voice, the closest one that mumbled loving and strange things at her, a voice she knew so well.

With her last breath before everything went black, she managed to say one more thing. One last prayer.

“Theo.”

*****

Scott swallowed, the pain that flashed through his body was unbearable, worse with Peter trying to dig out the bullets, but he couldn’t move. He didn’t understand why he couldn’t move. He could feel Lana so close, the way the pack circled around him. He knew Stiles was there too, he could always find Stiles, Nick was to his left, Isaac’s hand held his but he couldn’t return it.

He screamed, or at least he thought he did, through the burning in his chest. The way his lungs filled with fire with every breath was torture. He couldn’t see, but he knew his eyes were open. He couldn’t respond but he felt everything.

He felt  _ her. _

She said something, a word, something he wanted to agree with, but he didn’t move. The fire reached his heart, he was gasping for breath, drowning, and burning at the same time. Praying for the end, wanting nothing more than to live, and then it all went cold.

Every part of him was numb, and there wasn’t any pain. He knew what Allison meant now, knew how she felt. There wasn’t anything to take. He let himself fade back to that moment, of holding her in his arms, pulling her against him.

His first love. She would always be with him. There was peace.

He let the darkness take him.

*****

Theo placed her down gently on the flat surface of the large tree stump. Tears blurred his vision as he let his fingers caress her face, before pulling the shirt he had snatched from one of the dead men and proceeded to dress her. The button down was long, and when he pulled it down, it nearly reached her knees, but it covered her, and that’s all he cared about. Her skin, usually hot to the touch, like a human with a high fever was now chilled, her lips turned a slight blue, everything that was her faded fast, but Theo wouldn’t let go.

He looked up, lips pressed against her forehead, refusing to move, as Derek burst through the underbrush, Scott in his arms. He set the alpha on the stump like he was laying them in bed, both facing the same direction, but there was nothing, just the sudden silence of the forest.

Nick handed him a set of clothes, one they managed to find that wasn’t shredded, before doing the same to Theo. Both wolves yanked on the clothing without a second thought, at least until Theo stood there, holding an extra pair of pants, he couldn’t touch her again to put them on.

The others suddenly surrounded them, each keeping their distance until Stiles pushed closer to the trunk.

“This is wrong,” Stiles whispered, his voice broken as he stared at the two still forms. “This is all wrong.”

“They’re dead, of course something’s wrong!” Isaac yelled, but Nick was the one who stepped forward, placing a hand gently on the beta’s shoulder.

“No, he’s right.” He took a step back as Liam moved toward them, breaking down as his knees let go, hands on both of their heads, forehead to the rough bark of the tree. “Turn him around.”

Derek quickly came too, like he had been lost in a daze, and stared at the man. “What?”

“They’re in the wrong position.” Nick snapped, moving forward to grab a hold of Scott, who was closer to their position, but Liam moved, placing himself between Nick and his alpha. “I’m sorry, little wolf, I meant no disrespect, but you have to listen to me.”

Nick locked eyes with the beta, and Theo growled the moment he saw Liam stiffen, but it was Peter’s voice that broke the night.

“Stop, you don’t know what that will do to him!” He grasped Nick by the shoulders, breaking the connection, but Nick turned his glowing eyes on the older man, showing him the vision, the prophecy and Peter stumbled. Shaking himself of the hold, Peter blinked, steadied his legs, and nodded at Derek. “He’s right.”

“So, one psychic kick in the ass and you’re agreeing with him?” Stiles snapped but Noah’s hand on his chest stopped him from going after both men.

“Let’s hear what he has to say,” Noah whispered, as if he were calming a child. Stiles huffed, exactly like said child, and paced the other side of the stump. Noah turned his sights on the wolf. “Now explain.”

“It’s not just a prophecy,” Peter raised a brow, hoping at least Derek would get it, and he saw the understanding reach the former alpha. “It never was an end.”

“Lydia didn’t see their deaths,” Derek spoke up, and that got the attention of Liam and Theo, who seemed to have moved into each other’s orbit. “She saw the death of Jonathan and the others but the Nemeton...”

“It was an after effect.” Theo whispered, moving to Scott’s side, he raised a brow at Liam, a way of asking  _ are you in? _ before Liam gave a nod and grabbed onto Scott’s shoulders. Isaac helped lift and the others cleared the way as they turned him. Settling the alpha down, Theo glanced up at the three omegas that stood in a row. “Now what?”

“We wait.” Nick bit out as he moved to the closest tree, put his back to it and slid down, sitting among its roots.

Liam moved around to the other side, swallowing down the way both alphas looked. They were so still it made him shiver, but their fingers lay less than an inch apart, bodies in nearly the same position. He had seen this before, and his eyes moved up to catch Theo’s, who seemed to be doing the same thing, recognizing it.

“The dreams,” Theo whispered, but no one else seemed to catch it.

“So, we’re just supposed to sit here?” Malia spoke up for the first time.

“Help me with the bodies,” Derek’s tone brokered no argument as he walked by the coyote, patting Isaac on the shoulder as well, and the two turned to follow him.

Noah stepped up beside Peter, watching the way the man eyed them over before he sighed. “What the hell is going on here?”

“If all goes right?” Peter crossed his arms, glanced at the sheriff, and shrugged before looking at the two on the trunk, “I have no idea.”

*****

Hours passed, but it didn’t get any brighter, the night seemed to linger on, to drag and slowly each member of the pack moved, keeping their vigil from against trees, snuggled up against another for warmth, all except two.

Liam swayed, catching Theo’s eye from across the trunk, and the chimera grinned. “Just sit.”

“No,” Liam whispered, “I need to see her eyes.” His gaze shifted to Scott. “To hear his heartbeat.”

“I’m sure you still will, even sitting on your ass,” the anchor laughed.

“How are you so calm?” Liam glanced past him at Nick, whose eyes were closed, breathing even, and Isaac, who leaned against him. “How is everyone so calm?”

“When an alpha loses a beta,” Derek spoke up, stepping out from behind the tree line, his green eyes cast to the ground, “it’s like ripping out a piece of its heart. Tearing off a limb.” He moved up to the edge of the trunk, glancing over Scott before he brought his gaze to Theo. “The same with a blood bonded beta. Do you feel that?”

Liam licked his lips, fingers flexing as he shook his head, “no, I just feel lost.”

“That’s good,” Derek glanced at Theo, “what about you?”

“I’m not bonded to either of them,” the blue-eyed man huffed, crossing his arms.

There was a scoff from the trees. “But you are,” Nick spoke up from behind him, shifted to a more comfortable position and rested his cheek on Isaac's hair. “Scent bonds are just as strong.”

“And you?” Derek smirked in Nick’s direction, “what do you feel?”

“I feel like my ass is numb, like she needs to wake her drama queen self up so I can go home, shower, and cuddle up to this one in a proper bed.” Nick huffed out, like it was a chore to be there, but he realized what he said, and his eyes opened wide, locked on Derek. “Do you have an issue with that?”

“Oh, please tell me you aren’t going to start with the  _ if you hurt him _ speech,” Peter sighed, “that’s so cliché.”

Derek scowled, rolled his eyes, and turned away. “Isaac is bonded to me by blood, he will always be my beta, but he’s not mine in any other way, not anymore.”

“What does that mean exactly?” Stiles spoke up, which got most of them to turn in his direction.

“Isaac chose his mate,” Derek shrugged, “his own pack, even if he and Nick are still part of ours.”

“Oh, I’m part of  _ yours _ ?” Nick grinned, “why, Hale, you say the sweetest things.”

“What is that?” Theo whispered, getting them all to look at him, but Theo was stepping back, away from the Nemeton. Liam’s eyes were locked on the dark blood that pooled around Lana as if being sucked from her body. “What the hell is going on?”

Nick slowly rose to his feet, shaking Isaac awake as Peter did the same. They moved closer the further Theo backed away, until they stood in a line, every one of them… except Liam, who crouched down, eyes on the black blood that leaked from Lana’s ear.

“It’s the venom,” he shared, quickly standing to make his way around the trunk to see that the exact same thing was happening to Scott. “It’s pulling the venom from their bodies.”

“But Scott was never hit,” Isaac reminded them.

“Not this time.” Derek sighed, “but that didn’t mean there wasn’t some still left over.”

“I thought you got rid of that?” Peter questioned, but all Derek could do was shrug.

“I don’t know.”

“Guys, seriously,” Liam stood and backed away as the black goo seemed to take over the entirety of the Nemeton. “What the fuck?”

“Okay,” Theo tried not to panic, “I got nothing.”

“Wait!” Nick whispered, moving closer, an action that got Peter to grab his arm. Nick turned and grinned at the man. “As much as I appreciate the concern for my safety, I think I know what this is.”

“Great,” Peter growled, brows raised, “we don’t, so don’t do anything stupid.”

“Thank you for the suggestion.” Nick slipped out of his grip and continued moving closer. He stopped by Lana’s head, crouched down, and reached out for her. His fingers caressed her temples as he closed his eyes. “Let’s go, alpha, show me what you got.”

There was a blast along the cords, something they all felt, but Nick was seeing colors, not even stars, just colors as he flew back against a tree. Peter and Isaac were instantly by his side, and as he felt the omega grasp his arm, he also heard him growl.

“I told you not to do to anything stupid.” The two helped him to his feet, bringing Peter eye to eye with him. “And that… was stupidity at its finest.”

“I know,” Nick leaned against him, still unsteady on his feet. “But I had to know.”

“Know what?” Theo caught his eyes.

“They’re fighting to come back.” The omega grinned. “And they’re winning.”

The blood seeped into the rings, as the hum in the air grew more powerful. Stiles moved, stepped away from the line and stopped not more than three feet from his best friend. Derek placed an arm on his shoulder, halting him from going any closer, but the human only crouched down and tented his hands over his nose.

“Come on, Scott, fight.” His voice was low, almost so Derek couldn’t hear him, but he gave the man a gentle squeeze. “Fight, you asshole, you still owe me a chance to beat you at GTA.”

“Stiles,” Noah offered comfort from the line, but his tone changed and that got Stiles to look up. “Keep talking, I think it’s working.”

Stiles glanced at his dad before slowly getting to his feet. The rings under them were starting to glow, and all he could do was blink. “Dad?”

“Talk, Stiles,” Derek encouraged, “it’s the thing you do best. Just keep talking.”

“Lana,” his voice was soft, pleading as he shifted one step closer. “Come back to me, please. You owe me that! You owe me having you there to see the twins being born. You owe me time to help heal the wounds I couldn’t six years ago.” The light under them grew brighter. Both Liam and Theo moved, closing the distance. “You owe me seeing your wedding to my best friend, my brother, because…” he smirked, “I’ve always wanted a baby sister.” Stiles saw the moment her eyes fluttered, the same instance as the others, but then she went still once more, and he got angry. “Come on, _ alpha _ , quit fucking around.”

Her eyes opened wide, bright red and terrifying as the black filled the sclera, but it was the roar that came from Scott that had everyone but Stiles kneeling down. Lana’s body dropped down to the wood once more, but Stiles knew she would be alright. The others stayed kneeling, it wasn’t from fear, but pack submission and Stiles slipped from Derek’s grasp, moving up to the Nemeton, leaning over Scott, bright red eyes looking up at him with curiosity and just the hint of mirth.

“Hey, you jerk! It’s about time.” The glow faded, Scott blinked lazily, and both men turned to look at the woman beside him. She was breathing, deep and even, but her eyes were closed. Liam shuffled up, on his knees, and reached out a hand, laying it gently on her cheek. She leaned into it but otherwise didn’t shift. Scott found Stiles staring down at him. “You scared the hell out of me.”

“Scared the hell out of me too,” Scott replied, but his voice sounded hoarse and low. Derek’s hands landed on his shoulders as he tried to get up from the tree.

“Don’t move yet,” the former alpha patted him on the chest, made sure Scott understood and slowly moved away, shifting to stand beside Lana. Liam slowly backed away as Scott growled the moment Derek reached for her shirt, but with a smirk, the omega shook his head. “Yeah, you’re gonna be just fine, but I have to check her.”

He nodded, relenting, letting his head drop back, but turned to watch as the green-eyed man brought her shirt up, exposing her stomach. With a quick look up at Stiles, Derek gave a small approval, before dropping the fabric and moving to cup her face in her hands.

He hesitated a moment before he whispered to her. “Okay, little alpha, don’t bite me,” Derek joked, his voice low and playful, something not many of them, if any at all, had ever heard, and he turned her head gently to the side. Leaning in close, he made eye contact with Scott before he pressed his nose against her skin.

After a moment of drawing in her scent, of gently running along the line of her jugular, he stopped as the hand between him and the stump gripped his shirt. “Oh, my God,” she whined like a small child, a sound that had almost all of them sighing with relief, “ _ please _ , stop that, it tickles.”

“Welcome back to the world of the living,” Derek grinned, backing away to look into her blue eyes. “How do you feel?”

Lana blinked, sleepily, and took in a breath, “anyone get the number of that Mack truck?”

Nick sat back on his ass, glassy eyes to the sky as Peter patted him on the shoulder. Theo grinned, reaching out to grab Liam by the shirt, the beta having stilled the moment he heard her voice, and he pulled him in for a hug. Isaac wiped the tears from his face as Malia rolled her eyes, as she huffed out concern. Noah gave a small shake of his head, but it was Stiles that Derek had his eyes on.

The human had his hand pressed up against his mouth, tears cascading from his eyes as he closed them. Scott brought a hand up, carded it through Stiles hair and let the man rest his forehead on his stomach. Scott turned to look at Lana, her bright blue eyes, alive and well, met his brown ones and the distance between their fingers closed.

“The toxin’s gone,” Derek whispered, his hand still gently petting over Lana’s head, but the alpha didn’t look in his direction. “But I’m still not sure about moving either of you yet.”

“So, what?” Stiles sniffed up the escaping snot in his nose and wiped his sleeve across his face, “are you suggesting we sleep out here tonight?”

Derek laughed, “not in the least.”

“Good, because that would be the worst idea I’ve heard all day,” Peter snipped. “I want four walls and a bed, preferably one that hasn’t been defiled by some comic book villain.”

“There’s always my mom’s place,” Scott shrugged, slowly pushing up to his elbow to see the group. He glanced over everyone, stopping to make sure he could see they were unharmed. “Come on, guys, I feel fine. Lana feels…” He stopped, turned to look at her and watched the way she breathed, followed the strange red line he could see from his heart to hers and smiled. “She feels amazing.”

“Dude, we don’t need the details.” Stiles quipped as he stood, patted Scott on the shoulder and walked over to his dad.

“He’s right though,” Theo spoke up, separating himself from Liam. “You can feel it.”

“Not feeling anything that has to do with the two of them… Thanks.” Isaac smirked, but it soon faded. “What is that?”

Nick tilted his head to the side, slowly, looked between the pack members that stood there and slowly narrowed his sights on the two alphas. “It’s the bond. And, I agree with Theo, you can feel it.”

“Well,” Lana rolled over, letting Derek help her to her side as he kissed her temple and backed away, headed towards Stiles, “I feel like a nap.”

“Alright, lazy!” Stiles walked over, reaching down for her. “Come on, I’ll carry you.”

“What?” She turned flat on her back and stared up at him. “The last time you  _ carried _ me, you almost dropped me.” Stiles leaned over her, on hand on either side of her head. “There’s no way I’m letting you pick me up, tough guy.”

“Fine,” Stiles narrowed his gaze at her, meeting her blue eyes with humor, “I’ll get Derek or Nick to do it.”

“Nah,” she sighed, reaching up to touch his cheek, “I got this.”

“You sure?” He backed away, held out both hands and waited for her to take them as Scott sat up on the trunk.

She nodded, let him pull her up to a sitting position, giving her a moment to adjust as Stiles grabbed the discarded pants, holding them up for her to see. Lana scoffed, shaking her head. He dropped them, took her hand again and helped her to her feet.

Turning in Scott’s direction, she saw him leaning against Peter, the older wolf had one arm around Scott’s waist, supporting him. At least she wasn’t the only one that felt like her limbs were about as useful as jell-o. She could sense Derek before she saw him or felt him physically, but it only gave her a seconds warning before she was in his arms, cradled against him and the pack started moving.

*****

It was weird how well things worked with the Nemeton. Stiles’ Jeep wasn’t all that far away, and he was able to make it out to the west side of the preserve to grab other cars without so much as a hassle. They packed in Noah’s SUV, the Jeep, and Nick’s truck, all fitting comfortably as they headed for the only place they could agree on.

Derek’s loft.

When they arrived, he didn’t lead them to the top, but stopped on the fifth floor and let them into another furnished apartment. It was surprisingly still two floors, like a townhouse that had no access from the floor above. It was well stocked with food, bedding, and entertainment.

“What is this?” Isaac whispered, taking it all in. The walls were white, definitely brighter than Derek’s place, and the art should have given them a clue, but it was the way that Peter climbed the more modern spiral staircase against the back wall that curved up and disappeared without so much of a moment of hesitation that made Stiles understand.

“This is Peter’s apartment,” the human laughed, before yelling up the stairs, “I thought you said it was downtown.”

“I did, because I didn’t want  _ you _ to know where I lived,” Peter explained, coming back with a few pillows and a blanket. He deposited them on the couch, letting Derek lay Lana gently on the cushy material. Peter moved in, taking over as Derek helped Nick with Scott, who was managing more on his own, feeling stronger in his legs. Peter narrowed his attention on Stiles as he sat beside Lana on the couch. “You’re too clingy.”

Theo crossed his arms, smirked, and tried hard to cover the chuckle while he leaned protectively on the back of the couch. Liam didn’t bother to hide it at all, finding a spot on the end of the same couch, resting her feet on his lap, making himself comfortable.

“That’s not fair,” Stiles huffed.

“Even so,” Peter moved to walk by him, but stopped and smiled, “it’s true.”

Lana grinned, she couldn’t help it, not with the easy way they all seemed to be getting along, but that didn’t make the lethargy any better. She had been fading fast the moment she had gotten into the truck and now, she couldn’t fight the heaviness of her eyes.

Letting sleep take her over was hard, especially with the fear of not waking up, but she found no matter how deep she got into the REM sleep, she could feel the tethered hearts that beat in the room.

When she found the strength to open her eyes again, the light of the morning sun was streaming in through the large, frosted windows of Peter’s apartment. She wasn’t on the couch, but a soft mattress that had been placed on the floor near it and strong arms were wrapped tightly around her.

Her spot on the couch had been taken by Liam, who’s arm hung down, the back of his hand resting on Theo’s shoulder as the chimera lay sleeping in front of her. The arms holding her securely were from behind and she could feel the body pressed against hers, his lips on the back of her shoulder, and she found that she was, yet again, in another shirt.

“One of these days, I’ll figure out which one of you keeps dressing me,” she sighed quietly as Scott’s body moved in a silent laugh. His lips brushed along her exposed neck; small kisses being placed on sensitive points.

“It was me this time, though Theo had you at the Nemeton,” Scott’s voice was deep from sleep and Lana let the shiver pass through her, pressing back against him. “You scared me.”

“I’m sorry,” she shifted, turning in his arms to face him, but Scott had other ideas. He let her lay back, pushed up to his elbow and locked her against the bed, his lips not far from hers. “But I can’t promise it won’t happen again.”

“I know,” he sighed, letting his world fill with just her scent. “Lana,” he paused in his words, but not his thoughts as everything he needed to tell her came rushing to the surface. How he needed her, couldn’t bear the thought of living without her, nearly didn’t but fought to find her. How everything she did made him want to be better, do better. He let his fingers run through her hair, as he let out the breath he was holding. “I love you.”

The smile he felt against his lips told him everything in reply, but those four little words had his heart racing. “I love you, alpha.”

Scott captured her lips, kissed her deeply, but remembered who was next to him just about the same time she did, and they both turned their heads in time to see Theo’s blue eyes shift to gold.

“I love you, too, but can you, please, go the fuck to sleep,” the man growled out at them, soft but demanding and both alphas grinned, Scott was the only one who nodded. “Good!”

Theo flopped over onto his stomach, buried his head in the pillow and relaxed. Scott smiled, leaned down and slowly kissed her again, something that made the chimera growl, before he relented and rolled her onto her side, letting her head rest on his chest.

*****

Six months later.

Lana stepped out the backdoor onto the patio of the house that she and Scott now owned. It was small, set on the Hale property towards the west side of the preserve, making it easier for them to patrol the area but it was large enough for a pack house.

They had renovated the garage, making it a townhouse style apartment for Theo and Liam, giving the two bachelors the privacy they needed. The second floor of the main house was for Malia and Nick, and by extension, Isaac. It helped that the walls through all of it were pretty much soundproofed.

Derek and Peter still lived in Derek’s building, but they spent most of their time at the house, especially since Lydia had chosen to spend the last few months of her second pregnancy in the guest house on the property. Mason and Corey found the third bedroom of the boys’ townhouse pretty comfortable, and never bothered to leave.

Today was about family though, and it was definitely packed. The twins were a month old. Carmen and Camille were spoiled little girls, and their big sister Allison was just as protective as any alpha they had come upon. The Nemeton had slowly gone back to sleep, again, and the town was quiet, safe.

So, why was there a nagging feeling in the back of Lana’s mind? Why couldn’t she shake the odd suspicion that something was about to happen from her bones? And why the hell was Peter shutting everyone out?

He was sitting away from the group, not an odd thing for him but definitely different, his elbow on the armrest, fist against his mouth, and he was looking into the woods. It wasn’t the first time that week. With the moon coming, they were all a little on edge but something about his demeanor was… off.

Scott kissed her on the neck, something that took her by surprise, and she twirled around to greet him, but he knew she wasn’t right. His eyes went to Peter too, and she saw the moment he became curious.

“Should we talk to him?” Scott whispered, wrapping his arms around her waist.

“He wouldn’t talk anyway, just reply in sarcastic, smug remarks. I have a feeling we’re not going to have to wait much longer for whatever the hell is going on.” Lana shrugged, watching as Derek moved to sit next to him, hit him in the shoulder with a rocks glass before Peter accepted it and went back to his observation. “Besides, Derek’s got him.”

“Still,” Scott sighed, “it’s bothering me. He isn’t one for sharing, but he’s been more… well... him, like the first time we met, then I’ve seen him in years.”

Lana turned in his arms, placed her hands gently against his chest and smiled up at him. “Let’s not talk about Peter.”

He narrowed his brown eyes at her, curious. “Okay, what do you want to talk about then?”

“Tonight.”

“The full moon?” His lips turned up in a smirk. “You want to do a pack run, don’t you?”

“It will be fun, and we haven’t done one in two months. Everything is settled, we’re fine,” she looked over the group, “they’re fine, more than fine.” She caught Theo’s eyes as he glanced at her from the grill where Liam was trying not to burn dinner, and watched as he winked, a small grin on his face. “I think it’s time.”

“You just want to shift with him,” Scott teased, which got her to roll her eyes, but when she met his gaze, the smile fell from her lips. “It snuck up on you this time, didn’t it? The itch?” She looked away, not knowing how to tell him. “You know, if you need to go, you don’t have to hint or ask, I’d never deny you time with him.”

“It’s just,” she ran a hand through her own hair, “I wish you could shift, come with us, feel the way it feels.”

“No,” he stated softly, like that was the end of the argument, and he rested his forehead against hers. “This is you, and Theo. It’s something special that only the two of you need to share, and it’s good for him.”

“And it gets me out of your hair for a few hours so Stiles can come over and complain,” Lana laughed as the man himself suddenly walked up and put a hand on Scott’s shoulder.

“Hey, sorry to interrupt, but,” he turned his attention right onto the alpha, “we need to talk.”

“And that’s my cue.” Lana backed away from Scott, pushed up on her tiptoes to kiss the amber eyed man on the cheek, and walked away, leaving them to the discussion that Scott would no doubt tell her about later. She made her way towards the grill, tucking herself under Theo’s arm and wrapped her around his waist as Liam frantically turned hamburgers. “Wanna run with me later?”

Theo leaned down, kissing her gently on the top of her head as he nodded without words. Liam grimaced at them like a child who had just seen his parents kissing and went back to the grill.

*****

Peter stood at the edge of the woods, his fingers flexing as he closed his eyes, and drew in a deep breath. There was something out there, something he just couldn’t put his finger on. Familiar but only to the point where he had come up on something similar in the past, but not personally known.

Lana stepped up beside him, her presence almost calming. It was only the two of them, the rest of the pack was already in the woods, running the path through the west side, but he was holding back.

“You’re safe,” she whispered, patting his arm as he stood there, tense.

“It’s not safety that concerns me, whatever this is,” he glanced down at her, “it isn’t harmful, at least, not to us.”

“Can you track it?”

Peter drew in the scent, held it, committed it to memory, and nodded.

“Then let’s go.”

He smirked down at her, not bothered by her stripping off the robe and shifting, before he took off after the chestnut wolf. She let him take the lead, followed him without hesitation off the path, deeper into the woods.

The scent grew stronger, almost intoxicatingly so, and the bright blue of his eyes shined brighter the closer he got. He should stop, should listen to the whine of his wolf, but he didn’t, he just kept tracking it, until he skidded to a halt along the river.

Lana shifted, her nose up, scenting the air. Good, he wasn’t the only one anymore. She knew what he was looking for.

The two moved together, following the bank until they found a small rock formation, one large enough to form a small cave, a den, but that was when Peter stopped, the scent so unbelievably strong that he shook and Lana held up a hand, silent in her command to stay. Peter nodded, even as his wolf bristled to move.

He waited, stalking back and forth in front of the entrance, as she ducked in. His heartbeat was slow and steady, but it only lasted a moment before she called out.

“Peter, get your ass in here, I think I’m going to need some help.”

He ducked in faster than he thought possible, but when he came up on her back, he wasn’t exactly sure what the hell was going on, all he knew was the cave smelled like cinnamon and cloves, and it made his head spin, until she moved away.

Peter’s blue eyes widened as he looked from her to the woman in the corner of the cave. Magic seemed to surround her, crackling against the stones and when her tired blue eyes opened, and trying as he might, he couldn’t catch his breath. For a moment, their eyes met, and his heart skipped as he shuffled up close, reaching out to place his palm against her clammy cheek.

She leaned into it, her chest rising and falling with rapid breaths, but she managed to get out two small words that confused the man to no end. “It’s you.”

And the light faded behind her eyes, as her head slumped towards his hold. Peter turned to Lana, a pleading look in his eyes, and he panicked. “We have to help her.”

**To be continued...**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who took the time to read this work. It was my first venture into a fandom that I haven't written in before. I watched Teen Wolf when it first came out but missed 6A and 6B, so it was fun to start over when I found it again on Prime. I forgot how amazing it was and how easy you could fall in love with the characters. I hope I did them justice. Thanks for the comments and the kudos, and everyone who stuck around to the end.


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